The series also won three Emmy Awards; earned Sheindlin a Guinness World Records recognition for longest serving television arbitrator; and originated many courtroom programming trends, from use of eponymous show titles to cold open trailers.

[15] After Joseph Wapner was released from The People's Court on May 21, 1993, Sheindlin called up the program's producers, Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions and Warner Bros. Television, and offered to do the show in his place.

[25][26][27] Switzer, Spreckman, along with Rebel Entertainment Owner Richard Lawrence later sued CBS and Sheindlin numerous times over allegedly owed profit shares for their part in commencing the program and introducing the two parties.

Governing the discourse throughout the cases, Sheindlin typically allowed only brief portions of each of the testimonies; having read the parties' sworn statements before the taping, she was quick to reply, impose her spiel, and disallow responses that were not concise or which interrupted her.

"[51] To acquire cases, the show generally used one of the following three options: After one of these three processes, if the producers were interested, their employees would then call both parties and ask them questions relating to their lawsuit, making sure they were suitable for Judge Judy.

[58] In addition, the airfare (or other means of travel) and hotel expenses of the litigants and their witnesses were covered by the show, and the experience was generally treated as an all-expense-paid vacation outside of the actual court case.

[77] When the show switched to the melody composed by Bill Bodine in season 1, the opening music video was updated to motioning scenes of Sheindlin from the bench, gesticulating as though presiding over cases.

[77] Strikingly atypical to most of the show's run, the first few seasons saw litigators and their witnesses readily speaking out of turn, bickering between each other and taking to misbehaviors without Sheindlin exacting the strict measures for which later became a staple of the program.

For much of the series outside of the initial episodes, the opening music video consisted of voice-over artist Jerry Bishop stating: "You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin.

Sheindlin responded by expressing great disfavor of the pilot episode, indicating that Judge Judy producers only set up fictionalized cases and steered her to dramatized reactions and behaviors.

[99] Sheindlin and her program appeared on the November 26, 2017, broadcast of Curb Your Enthusiasm, presiding over a sketch comedy court case with Larry David as the plaintiff who unsuccessfully sued the previous owner of his house over custody of a sick ficus plant she left behind when she moved out, but later stole back.

Sheindlin had gained a reputation for although sporting a "grannyish" lace collar, having a deceivingly tough judicial approach, both in the Manhattan family court and her simulated televised courtroom.

By the starting point of her 2nd season, it was observed that Sheindlin's guest presence at public venues had already generated avid recognition and fanfare, her reaction characterized as "overwhelmed by her success, as if it was something she didn't expect.

These include the reality-based revival of Divorce Court, which was originally presided over by Mablean Ephriam (1999–2006), Lynn Toler (2006–2020), Faith Jenkins (2020-2022), and currently helmed by Star Jones; the short-lived Power of Attorney, capturing various high-profile attorneys arguing cases for litigants in front of Andrew Napolitano; Street Court, which took litigation outside of the courtroom; Jury Duty, featuring an all-celebrity jury hearing cases presided over by Bruce Cutler; etc.

[151] Worth noting, however, is that shows airing multiple daily episodes may not directly benefit monetarily as the rating system that local stations use to sell to advertisers is based upon the prior method.

[207] On December 26, 2007, Jonathan Sebastien, a former producer of the Judge Judy show of seven years, filed a lawsuit against the production company in L.A. County Superior Court for wrongful termination.

The lawsuit alleged that CBS hadn't paid Rebel for the past six years, claiming that the show operated at a loss primarily due to Sheindlin's annual salary boost to $45 and then $47 million.

Rebel described it as "exorbitant" and "grossly inconsistent with customary practice in the television industry" and claimed that similarly successful talk show hosts weren't paid nearly as much.

That being said, Judge O'Donnell ruled partially in Rebel's favor, agreeing that it was a breach of contract for the defendants to have failed to consult Lawrence before launching the "spin-off" series, Hot Bench.

[227] On June 12, 2021, it was reported that Sheindlin and her attorneys' demurrer to have Rebel's over $5 million lawsuit dismissed through summary judgment (a verdict rendered early so that a case doesn't have to go to trial) was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Nieto.

CBS contended that profit share deductions were a direct result of production expenses, that is, Sheindlin's intent to terminate employment with the network if her salary demands weren't met.

Switzer and Spreckman's trustee, Jay Robinson, claimed they "discovered" and introduced Sheindlin to producer Larry Little, asserting that if not for this move that there never would have been any Judge Judy and thus they were owed monetary royalties for the entirety of the court show's series run.

"[234] In March 2021, defendants Judith Sheindlin, Big Ticket Pictures, Her Honor, and CBS Studios petitioned the courts for a summary judgment (an early verdict from a judge based on enough evidence gathered during discovery so that a case does not have to move to trial).

The defendants contended that the plaintiffs were unable to prove that any money was earned by Sheindlin for her submission of the Judge Judy episode library back to CBS, adding that details of the contract regarding that exchange have been kept confidential through contractual protections.

[229] Less than a week after CBS's February 2020 settlement attempt with Rebel, Sheindlin announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her Judge Judy series would end that following television year, 2020–21, at 25 seasons.

"[242] In a formal press release response to Sheindlin's statements issued by CBS Ventures President Steven Locascio, he was quoted as stating, "The network has had an incredibly successful relationship with Judy over the last 25 years.

Byrd, on the other hand, later revealed in October 2021 that when he finally had a discussion with Sheindlin by the time her new series was in production, she explained that he was omitted due to the show's budget, that they couldn't afford him.

Discovered were multitudes of allegations leveled at Douthit by 16 former Judge Judy producers that run the gamut, involving workplace drunkenness, sexual harassment, body shaming, ageism, ableism, anti-blackness and misogyny.

[210][245] According to the allegations made by former Judge Judy staff dating back from 2001 through the remainder of the show's run, Douthit frequently sexually harassed employees who reported to him[246] and reviled female litigants while directing from the control room, referring to them as "too fat", "too ugly", "hos", uttering pig and cow vocalizations, sharing of which of them he most desired to sleep with, etc.

[5][250] Questioned about her concluded court show's enduring success and timelessness in reruns during a November 2022 interview, Sheindlin answered, "My mind is still blown away by the fact, that in the second year of its afterlife, Judge Judy is still number one in daytime.