The ways in which institutional and workplace pressures and stressors intersect to deplete judicial wellbeing and capacity are not well understood. This article reports on stage one of a national multidisciplinary project which surveyed over 600 current and former judicial officers' perceptions and experiences from all Australian State and territory courts. A key finding is that the respondents indicate they derive considerable satisfaction from the contributions they can make to society in applying the law and in making complex legal decisions, even when this work exposes them to distress and to the trauma of others. A second key finding is that, for over 30% of respondents who completed the survey's Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) questions, a formal assessment of post-traumatic symptoms is clinically warranted. This is a high figure and supports the view that judicial work entails dealing privately with a combination of stressors in a way that May be encountered by few in other professions. While these stressors can be countered by the satisfaction inherent in the role and May not translate into harm for the judicial officer, they potentially have adverse consequences for individuals and for the administration of justice.