Bar Exam Practice Questions 2025 - Free Bar Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Federal judges serve for life, which is a fundamental principle established under Article III of the United States Constitution. This lifetime appointment is designed to ensure judicial independence, allowing judges to make decisions based solely on the law and their interpretation of the Constitution, free from political pressures and influences. This helps safeguard the judiciary as a co-equal branch of government and maintains a stable legal system.

The rationale behind a lifetime appointment is that it allows judges to focus on justice without the need to worry about reappointment or reelection, which can compromise their objectivity. While judges can choose to resign, retire, or be removed through impeachment for misconduct, the standard tenure is indeed for life unless such an event occurs.

The other options suggest set terms that do not align with the established constitutional framework for federal judges. The four-year and eight-year terms are more applicable to elected officials or state judges in some jurisdictions, but they don’t reflect the federal judicial system. The option of "until retirement" also implies a term limit that is not consistent with lifetime appointments.