Judge Mathis is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by Judge Greg Mathis, a former judge of Michigan's 36th District Court and Black-interests motivational speaker/activist.
The series premiered on September 13, 1999. The first-run syndication broadcast features Judge Mathis adjudicating small claims disputes from his studio courtroom set. The series is NAACP Image Award winning, as well as the first court show featuring an African American jurist to win Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program.
The series was produced by Telepictures Productions and AND Syndicated Productions, while distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. The courtroom series is filmed in front of a studio audience at the NBC Tower in Chicago, but includes cases and litigants from other U.S. jurisdictions. Of the court shows currently in production, Judge Mathis is the third longest-running, behind only Divorce Court and The People's Court, respectively.