The clock is ticking down to the day later this week when five legal practitioners, narrowed down from a pool of nearly 50 applicants, will interview for a role as a magistrate judge sitting on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

And former Federal Bar Association president U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí Jr. is quoted in a guide for federal magistrate judges explaining how these jurists play a quintessential role in the American system of justice.

Randy Katz. Photo: Am Holt/ALM Randy Katz. Photo: Am Holt/ALM