Federal district court judges call each other up when they're "puzzled by legal questions" and they've "been on the receiving end of the game-show-like call for help."

The NYT reports based on interviews with "a dozen judges in Manhattan�s Federal District Court."

On appeals courts, where judges typically rule in groups, collaboration is the rule. But trial judges are seen as solitary actors, the captains of their courtrooms, answerable only to a higher court. That is what makes a trial judge calling another for advice seem unusual to outsiders....

Judge Ronnie Abrams, a former prosecutor appointed to the bench in 2012, said she had been �at both ends� of such calls. As a judge, she said, �you can�t talk about your job to too many people, and so it�s nice to use the kind of experience and perspective of your colleagues when appropriate.�

I couldn't find anything in the article about what was "game-show-like," but I think we're just supposed to remember that on the old show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," contestants were allowed 3 "lifelines," one of which was "phone a friend." So... calling a colleague for help with a question you find hard could thus be "game-show-like."