>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M MEGYN KELLY.
WE'RE EXCITED HERE IN THE STUDIO
BECAUSE, AS I MAY HAVE MENTIONED
ONCE OR TWICE, I'M A HUGE FAN OF
OUR FIRST GUEST TODAY.
MAYBE OUR COUNTDOWN CLOCK GAVE
IT AWAY.
T-MINUS SEVEN DAYS.
T-MINUS SIX DAYS TO JUDGE JUDY.
T-MINUS FIVE DAYS TO J-SQUARED.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE DAY LEFT TO
JUDGE JUDY.
SHE'S HERE TOMORROW.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONE, THE
ONLY, JUDGE JUDY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
SHE IS A NO-NONSENSE TOUGH LOVE
JUDGE.
BEFORE SHE WALKS OUT ON TO THIS
STAGE, LET'S LOOK BACK AT HOW WE
CAME TO KNOW AND ADORE HER.
WATCH.
>> YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE
COURTROOM OF JUDGE JUDITH
SHEINDLIN.
>> Reporter: JUDGE JUDY
SHEINDLIN HAS RULED DAYTIME
TELEVISION WITH AN IRON FIST FOR
OVER 20 YEARS.
>> YOU SEE WHAT A FAIR PERSON I
AM?
>> YES, MA'AM.
>> Reporter: HER TIME ON THE
BENCH STARTED IN 1972 AND SHE
RULED HER WAY TO SUPERVISING
JUDGE AT FAMILY COURT.
>> THIS IS HER COURTROOM.
THIS IS JUDGE JUDY.
>> Reporter: IN 1996, THE SHOW
"JUDGE JUDY" MADE ITS TV DEBUT.
IT WAS SIMPLE, SMALL CASES AND
NO-NONSENSE DELIBERATION.
>> YOU DON'T GET TO SET THE
RULES.
>> Reporter: JUDGE JUDY'S
MASSIVE POPULARITY HAS LED TO
BOOKS, ACCOLADES AND A STAR ON
THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME.
AND WAS PARODIED ON "SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE."
>> IF I WANT TO HEAR YOUR SONG,
I'LL PUT A QUARTER IN JUKEBOX.
>> Reporter: SHE'S IN HER 27th
SEASON.
AND THE VERDICT IS HERE TO STAY.
>> I LOVE YOU.
>> ME, NOT SO MUCH.
>> PLEASE WELCOME, JUDGE JUDY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
HI.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
OKAY.
THE AUDIENCE KNOWS I'M DYING.
I AM THRILLED TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> IT'S FUN TO BE HERE.
>> FAN GIRLING.
I WANT TO START, NOT AT THE
BEGINNING.
BUT LET'S START WITH THE YOUNG
JUDY HEADING OFF TO LAW SCHOOL.
1960s, ONLY WOMAN IN AMERICAN
LAW SCHOOL AT THE TIME.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES.
WE WERE A CLASS OF 126 AND I WAS
THE ONLY WOMAN.
THOSE ARE THE ODDS THAT I LIKE.
>> WHAT DID THAT DO TO YOU?
HOW DID THAT CHANGE YOU?
>> I LOVED IT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT.
IT WAS A WELCOMING SCHOOL.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
IS A WELCOMING SCHOOL.
I TRANSFERRED TO NEW YORK IN MY
SECOND YEAR BECAUSE IN THOSE
DAYS, IF YOU MET A GUY, AND HE
WAS IN A DIFFERENT STATE AND YOU
DECIDED TO MARRY, IRRESPECTIVE
OF WHAT YOU WERE DOING, YOU
FOLLOWED HIM.
EVEN IF HE DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT
JOB.
THAT'S WHAT YOU DID THEN.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND THE
WORLD HAS CHANGED AND IT'S A
BETTER PLACE.
I FOLLOWED TO NEW YORK LAW
SCHOOL.
AND IT WASN'T AS WELCOMING OF A
PLACE.
I HAD A WONDERFUL WELCOMING
EXPERIENCE AT PROFESSIONAL
SCHOOL.
AND THEN, I WENT TO A SCHOOL
WHERE MY FIRST EXPOSURE WAS FOR
A PROFESSOR THAT SAID, WHY ARE
YOU TAKING THE SEAT OF A GUY
THAT NEEDS TO MAKE A LIVING.
NOW, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL HAS 70%
WOMEN.
>> ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE'S
MORE WOMEN IN LAW SCHOOL THAN
MEN.
YOU FINISH LAW SCHOOL.
YOU BECOME A FAMILY COURT JUDGE.
AND DO YOU SEE A LITTLE LACE
COLLAR.
YOU SEE A LACE ADORNMENT ON THE
STREET.
IS THAT HOW IT CAME TO BE?
>> MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN
GREECE.
IT WAS OUR FIRST REAL VACATION.
I NOTICED THAT THE MEN HAD A
BEAUTIFUL SHIRT AND A GREAT RED
TIE.
THEY LOOKED TERRIFIC.
AND THE WOMEN LOOKED LIKE THEY
NEEDED A LOT OF ROUGE OR MAKEUP.
I SAID, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF
WOMEN HAVE SOMETHING BRIGHT
HERE.
I BOUGHT A LACE COLLAR.
AND I PUT IT ON.
IT'S BEEN THERE EVER SINCE.
>> I READ ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
WANTED TO PROJECT WAS, THERE'S
THAT SWEET OLD LADY JUDGE.
WHAT WOULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG.
AND THEN, THERE WAS THE TIME ON
THE BENCH.
SHE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, I WANT
THOSE PEOPLE IN MY COURTROOM TO
THINK OF THAT BEING THE SECOND
WORSE TIME IN THEIR LIVES, SICK
BEING THE FIRST.
>> I THINK HERE, PEOPLE STARTED
TO FALL SHORT ON IS KEEPING
PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT
THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT
JUVENILES DIFFERENTLY, YOU'RE
GOING TO DO IT IN AN ADULT
SYSTEM.
YOU DO IT TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR
T INCARCERATING
THEM.
YOU HAVE TO SAY TO A KID WHO IS
15, WE DON'T ROB PEOPLE.
THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE IF YOU
TAKE A KNIFE AND MUG SOMEBODY.
YOU GET TIMEOUT, YOU SIT IN THE
CORNER, YOU GET TO FEEL BAD IN
AN HOUR.
THAT'S A REAL CONSEQUENCE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE UNPLEASANT
FOR A DECADE.
IT CAN BE UNPLEASANT FOR A DAY.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE A
CONSEQUENCE.
IF SOCIETY, YOU KEEP MAKING
THREATS TO KIDS, AND YOU BREAK
KE
CURFEW AND YOU LOSE THE CAR.
ULTIMATELY YOUR CHILDREN AND THE
CHILDREN WHO ARE WARDS OF THE
STATE BECAUSE THEY COMMITTED
CRIMES THINK THE COUNTRY IS FULL
OF CRAP.
>> YOUR TOUGH LOVE APPROACH IS
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE ME
FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU.
YOU WATCH HER SHOW AND SOMEBODY
WHO HAS DONE SOMETHING BAD WILL
START BLUBBERING ON ABOUT THEIR
MOTHER AND JUDGE JUDY WILL SAY,
TELL IT TO OPRAH.
YOU'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE.
AND THEY LEARN FAST NOT TO PULL
THAT WITH YOU.
THAT TOUGHNESS WITH HUMOR.
YOU ALWAYS MAINTAIN YOUR HUMOR
IS WHAT GOT YOU SOME NATIONAL
ATTENTION.
AND THEN, AT THE AGE OF 52, YOU
REALIZED THAT YOU'RE NEVER TOO
OLD TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
IS THAT WHEN THE SHOW WAS BORN?
52?
>> I WAS 52.
51 WHEN IT PREMIERED.
>> SHE MAKES A BIG RISK.
THAT'S A HUGE RISK.
NOW, SHE IS THE NUMBER ONE SHOW
AND THE NUMBER ONE -- NOT JUST
HIGHEST PAID WOMAN.
HIGHEST-PAID PERSONALITY IN ALL
OF TELEVISION.
>> THAT'S NICE.
>> YOU DID IT THROUGH YOUR OWN
HARD WORK AND TOUGH
NEGOTIATIONS.
BUT DON'T WALK IN THERE, LIKE
COWERING.
I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AND I
APOLOGIZE FOR IT.
>> MEN AND WOMEN TREAT SALARY
DIFFERENTLY.
WOMEN ARE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A
RAISE.
THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE THEIR
WORTH.
A MAN WILL GO IN AND SAY, I'VE
BEEN HERE TWO YEARS AND IT'S
TIME I GO FOR A RAISE.
A WOMAN WILL GO IN AND SAY, YOU
KNOW, I HATE TO BOTHER YOU.
BUT I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
IT WOULD BE NICE.
THE FELLOW NEXT DOOR DOES THE
SAME JOB I DO AND GETS PAID
MORE.
I KNOW A WOMAN WHO DID THAT.
SHE WAS ASKING FOR A RAISE.
AND HER BOSS SAID, THINGS AREN'T
BEEN GOOD.
I MADE YOU A DISC OF MY FAVORITE
CHRISTMAS RECORDS.
AND THIS WAS A WOMAN WHO WAS
REALLY GUTSY.
DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO NEGOTIATE
YOUR OWN WORTH.
IN ORDER TO NEGOTIATE YOUR OWN
WORTH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF
INDISPENSABLE.
YOU CAN BE AN ASSISTANT TO A
PHYSICIAN AND MAKE YOURSELF
INDISPENSABLE.
I KNOW DOCTORS WHO RETIRED THAT
SAID, WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE.
ONCE YOU'RE IN DISPENSABLE, YOU
SET YOUR OWN RULES.
>> JUDGE JUDY GOT INVOLVED IN A
LITIGATION OVER HER SALARY AND
SHE WON.
THE OTHER SIDE CAME IN WITH A
SEALED ENVELOPE, WANTING YOU TO
HAVE YOUR OWN SEALED ENVELOPE
AND YOU WOULD COME TO A
SETTLEMENT.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU SAID?
>> WELL --
THE STORY HAS BECOME LORE,
L-O-R-E, AND IT WAS FUN.
WHEN YOU DO SALARY NEGOTIATIONS
YOU HAVE AN AGENT THAT DOES THAT
FOR YOU.
I'M A LAWYER AND NOBODY
REPRESENTS YOU LIKE YOURSELF,
YOUR OWN INTERESTS.
I THINK RELATIVELY FAIR.
I WAIT TO TALK ABOUT MONEY, BUT
SINCE YOU ASKED.
>> WE NEED YOUR EXAMPLE.
>> TELEVISION ENLTTIES AND MEDIA
ENTITIES ARE USED TO MAKING A
LOT OF MONEY.
THEY EMPLOY CAMERA PEOPLE AND
PRODUC
PRODUCERS.
YOU MUST HAVE 100 PEOPLE WORKING
FOR YOU.
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.
YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT UNLESS
YOU HAVE A PERSON IN FRONT OF
THE CAMERA THAT BRINGS THE EYES
FOR THE CAMERA, IF YOU'RE THAT
PERSON, YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO
SHARE.
YOU SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO PAY YOU.
YOU SAY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK IS FAIR.
YOU DWELT HALF, YOU HAVE A LOT
OF PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF.
I'M JUST ONE PERSON.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF
GRANDCHILDREN.
IT WAS A KUJ MOMENT WHEN THEY
SAY YES OR NAY.
AND ONE PERSON SAID I HAVE MY
OWN ENVELOPE.
AND I SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO
LOOK AT YOUR ENVELOPE.
>> HE SAID, WHY NOT?
MAYBE IT'S MORE.
I SAID, IF I LOOK AT YOUR
ENVELOPE, IT'S A NEGOTIATION.
AND IF I DON'T, IT'S NOT AN
NEGOTIATION.
IF I'VE PUT TOO LITTLE IN MY
ENVELOPE, I'M PREPARED TO LIVE
WITH THAT.