system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How legit is Judge Judy? (TV personality)
gpt
From a legal point of view, Judge Judy operates as an independent mediator between two parties. The parties are asked to sign an agreement before going on the show, agreeing that whatever Judge Judy decides will be the final decision. This has all the same weight in law as any written contract - in other words, it is legit.

The show sometimes accepts requests from people to appear on it. But they also search through court listings and approach people to ask if they want to appear on it. In return for appearing on the show, the parties have their transport to the studios paid for, and are put up in a hotel for the duration of filming.

The other thing which encourages people to appear, but which makes the show less-than-legit, is that when Judge Judy orders one party to make a payment to the other party, it is actually the show which makes this payment, so no one will be financially out of pocket as a result of the show.