The short answer on how to address a judge: say “Your Honor” when you are speaking to a judge in a courtroom, and write “Dear Judge [Last Name]” when you are writing to one, with “The Honorable [Full Name]” on the envelope. That covers nearly every situation in an American court. A handful of titles work differently for justices, chief judges, and administrative law judges, and the rules relax a bit outside the courthouse.
Speaking to a Judge in Court
Use “Your Honor” every time you address the judge directly. It works in traffic court, in federal district court, and in the U.S. Supreme Court. It works whether you are the lawyer arguing the case, a witness answering questions, a defendant entering a plea, or a member of the public called to the bench. When you need to refer to the judge while talking to someone else in the room, say “the Court” rather than using a name.
Do not call a judge “Judge” by itself in open court. It is fine socially, but inside the courtroom it sounds casual. Skip “sir” and “ma’am” too. A few judges in some regions will accept them, but “Your Honor” is universally safe.
A few conduct basics go with the title. Stand when you speak to the judge and when the judge speaks to you, unless you have been told to stay seated. Answer questions directly and do not interrupt. If the judge corrects you, the right reply is “I apologize, Your Honor,” and then you move on. Arguing back is never the move.
Writing to a Judge
For a formal letter, the address block runs three lines:
- The Honorable [Full Name]
- [Title], [Name of Court]
- [Court mailing address]
Inside the letter, open with “Dear Judge [Last Name]:” followed by a colon rather than a comma. The same salutation covers magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, and senior judges; their specific title belongs on the second line of the address block, but the greeting stays the same.
Chief judges are the exception people miss most often. For the chief judge of a federal circuit court, the correct salutation is “Dear Chief Judge [Last Name].” Dropping the “Chief” reads as an oversight, because the title carries administrative authority that goes beyond the judgeship itself.
Most courts prefer that communications with chambers come by letter rather than email. When email is allowed, it usually goes to the judge’s law clerk or courtroom deputy, not to the judge personally. Put the case number and a short description in the subject line, open with the recipient’s name, and keep the tone of a formal letter. Many judges prohibit email for substantive matters entirely, and some allow it only for narrow procedural questions. Check the judge’s standing orders or the court’s website before sending anything.
Referring to a Judge in Legal Filings
In motions, briefs, and other court documents, the judge’s name appears in the case caption as “The Honorable [Full Name].” In the body of the filing, refer to the judge as “this Court” or “the Court” rather than by name. You would write “this Court should grant the motion,” not “Judge Smith should grant the motion.” The filing is directed at the institution’s authority, and the convention reflects that.
Justices, Chief Judges, and Administrative Law Judges
Supreme Court Justices
Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and most state supreme courts are not called “Judge” in writing. In the courtroom you still say “Your Honor.” In correspondence, the salutation is “Dear Justice [Last Name].” The Chief Justice of the United States gets “Dear Chief Justice [Last Name],” and the title line on the envelope reads “Chief Justice of the United States” rather than “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.” Associate Justices are listed as “Associate Justice, The United States Supreme Court.”
New York runs an unusual naming system. Its trial-level courts are called the Supreme Court, and the judges carry the title “Justice.” In a New York Supreme Court, you still say “Your Honor” in the room, but in writing you use “Dear Justice [Last Name].” Most other states reserve “Justice” for the highest appellate court.
Administrative Law Judges
Administrative law judges hear cases inside federal and state agencies rather than in traditional courts. They sit in the executive branch and are appointed by agency heads rather than nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Even so, ALJs are typically addressed as “Your Honor” during hearings, and written correspondence follows the usual “The Honorable [Full Name]” and “Dear Judge [Last Name]” pattern. If the agency uses a different convention, the hearing notice will say so.
Outside the Courtroom
At a social event, a bar association dinner, or any other setting away from the bench, call a judge “Judge [Last Name].” It is respectful without being stiff. Jumping to a first name feels presumptuous unless the judge has invited it, and even then, doing so in front of others can read awkwardly.
Retired judges keep the courtesy. A federal judge who has taken senior status is still active and is addressed exactly like any other sitting judge. A fully retired judge is still called “Judge [Last Name]” socially, and formal correspondence still opens with “The Honorable [Full Name].” The sensitive case is a retired judge in private law practice. Ethical rules in many jurisdictions restrict how the title can be used professionally, because marketing yourself as “Judge Smith” while working as a private attorney can imply judicial authority you no longer hold.
If You Call a Judge the Wrong Thing
Slipping once and saying “Judge” instead of “Your Honor” will not get you in trouble. Most judges will correct you gently and move on, especially if you are not a lawyer. The problem starts when someone ignores corrections or disrupts the proceeding. A judge who has warned you and then watches you keep going may read it as broader disrespect for the court.
At that point the judge has contempt power. Federal courts can punish contempt by fine, imprisonment, or both for misbehavior in the court’s presence that obstructs the administration of justice.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 – 401 Power of Court A contempt finding over forms of address alone is rare, and almost always comes bundled with other disruptive conduct: refusing instructions, speaking out of turn, treating the courtroom like it has no rules. For most people the real cost is not legal but practical. The ruling will still be fair, but you have made your own time in that courtroom harder than it needed to be.