The 'Judge Judy' Star's TV Career & Accomplishments

Judith "Judy" Sheindlin has forever left her mark on daytime television thanks to her wildly popular courtroom show Judge Judy. For more than two decades, the no-nonsense court maven has dominated the small screen, taping over 5,200 episodes since the show's premiere in September 1996. Even though Judge Judy is set to end later this year, Judy has no intention of slowing down. In fact, she told Ellen DeGeneres recently that she's working on a brand-new television show called Judy Justice.

But even if Judy decided to call it quits tomorrow, the 77-year-old TV personality would be more than set, financially speaking. According to Business Insider, Judy has pulled in a cool $47 million every year for Judge Judy, despite only filming 52 days out of the year. What's more, Judy's estimated net worth is around $440 million, according to Forbes.

How Judy Sheindlin made her money over the years:

Of course, her paydays weren't always that massive when she first started off practicing law. Judy was reportedly the only woman in her class of 126 students at American University's Washington College of Law, and later graduated at New York Law School in 1965. She served as a prosecutor in family court until then-New York Mayor Ed Koch took note of her tough-as-nails style and appointed her to criminal court. In 1986, she got promoted to supervising judge when she was 44 years old.

Judy filming in February 1997. Donaldson Collection

Despite her thriving courtroom career, New York Times Magazine noted that it wasn't until a reporter for The Los Angeles Times named Josh Getlin wrote about Judy in an article entitled "Law and Disorder: Tart, Tough-Talking Judge Judith Sheindlin Presides Over the Grim Pageant of Dysfunction Known as Manhattan's Family Court" that she got recognized on a national scale. Soon after, 60 Minutes filmed a segment of Judy's work, which put her on the map even more so. She retired from family court in 1996 and proceeded to write her first book, .

It was then that the TV offer came from Larry Lyttle, who was, at the time, the head of the production company Big Ticket Television. Larry gave Judy the opportunity to film a pilot for a new TV courtroom program to see how it performed. Three years later, it was the number-one daytime TV show, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Because of Judge Judy's high viewership numbers and ratings, Judy insisted on earning a salary reflective of the show's booming success. To New York Times Magazine, Judy explained that every three years she had dinner with the president of CBS Television Distribution to talk about her Judge Judy contract. Judy would write down the salary number she wanted, seal the piece of paper in an envelope, and present it at the end of the meal. One time when a president gave her his own envelope, she refused to open it and said bluntly, "this isn't a negotiation."

Her firm approach worked, as she's now — thanks to her Judge Judy salary, producing the legal TV show Hot Bench, and earning an estimated $100 million from selling the rights of Judge Judy to CBS in 2017 — one of the richest self-made women in the U.S. and the highest-paid TV host, according to a Forbes report from 2018.

Judy after receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmys in 2019. David Crotty

As New York Times Magazine called out, Judy and her husband, Jerry Sheindlin, enjoy spending their wealth on things like a Ritz-Carlton membership and Bentley. E! News reported in 2019 that Judy owns at least six properties worth a total of $61 million, including two places in Naples, Florida (which combined are worth $19.6 million); one $13.2 million manor in Greenwich, Connecticut; an $8.5 million New York City duplex; a $10.7 million condo in Los Angeles ($10.7 million); and a $9 million home in Newport, Rhode Island (which you can see photos of below):

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But extravagant houses and an impressive net worth aside, Judy has accomplished and amassed even more in her lifetime. To this day, she is a Guinness World Record holder for being the longest-serving judge in courtroom-themed programming history, a four-time Emmy winner, seven-time author, and a mother of five children (including Jerry's three kids from a previous marriage) — Jamie, Adam, Gregory, Jonathan, and Nicole.

Judy and her husband, Jerry, walking around Los Angeles in 2019. Hollywood To You/Star Max

And so, no matter what Judy Justice becomes or what happens after Judge Judy ends later this year, it's a safe bet that the brilliant woman behind it all will be justtt fine.

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Kayla Keegan Senior News and Entertainment Editor Kayla Keegan covers all things in the entertainment, pop culture, and celebrity space for Good Housekeeping.

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