Rule 25-104 Required training; failure to attend.

Judges who don't work in courts of record, like magistrate judges, municipal judges, probate judges, and certain domestic violence and domestic relations officers, must complete required training. This includes both an initial training session when they start and a set number of education hours every year after that.

If a judge doesn't complete this required training, the Supreme Court can suspend them or remove them from their position entirely. The training requirement is taken seriously enough that skipping it can cost a judge their job.

Retired judges who want to fill in as magistrate judges face a similar rule. A retired judge can only serve in this temporary role if they completed the same amount of continuing education in the past year that full-time magistrates are required to complete. This makes sure that anyone sitting as a judge, even temporarily, stays current on their legal training.