ABSTRACT
The quality of justice, as well as its public reputation, depends on the character of the judges who administer it. In order to staff the courts with highly qualified and well-trained jurists, Russia must do three things: improve both the attractiveness of judicial careers and the mechanisms of recruiting judges; develop the legal education and special preparation of future judges; and enhance the access of new and veteran judges alike to legal materials and additional training. A final way to help prepare jurists to serve as judges is to have them work as a clerk for a judge. Clerkships already exist in Russia on an experimental basis, but this is only a start. The experience of Western countries suggests that the training and long-term education support for justices of the peace are major undertakings.
