What is a Magistrate Judge?

More than thirty years ago, Congress adopted the title of United States Magistrate Judge to reflect the role magistrate judges play in relieving the burgeoning caseloads in the United States District Courts and the corresponding burdens on district judges. See Judicial Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-650, § 321, 104 Stat. 5089, 5117. Thus, magistrate judges are judges of the district court and a party—“even when before the magistrate judge—[is] subject to adjudication by an Article III court.” McLeod v. Bryant, No. 23-1721, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 3765, *12 (6th Cir. Feb. 15, 2024). Accordingly, the proper way to refer to a magistrate judge orally or in writing is “Judge.”