ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the work of Russian District Court Judge Ludmila Viktorovna Zhukova. The interview was given by Zhukova to the interviewers face to face, though the list of questions to be discussed had been sent to her beforehand. For instance, in Kingisepp City Court, only half of the judges started their careers in the justice system. It is important to understand that social status of judges in Russia is quite high. Unlike Great Britain and other countries where traditionally the judicial body consists of graduates from elite universities, in Russia, judges' careers are driven mainly by personal ability and commitment to hard work. Global processes undoubtedly imprint on the social life. For example, Leningrad Oblast courts are seeing an increase in illegal immigration and border crossing lawsuits, while high-profile and politically motivated cases tend to be tried in Moscow. As for city courts, they are just doing their job by upholding the rule of law in Russia.
