Cases get in court because someone believes that they have been wronged or their rights are unclear and they need a resolution. Lawsuits are about competing claims – one party wants something to happen that the other doesn't want to happen. Judges help people come to resolution using a process that is designed to assure fairness, not a positive outcome – at least one party will likely not like the outcome.
Court cases begin by someone going to Clerk’s office and filing legal pleadings. In a divorce case, one spouse asks for an order dissolving the marriage, dividing the property, determining decision-making authority over children, setting child support amounts, etc. In a criminal case, the County Attorney files a complaint or an indictment seeking a determination of guilt and sentence. In a civil case, a person seeks a declaration that their rights have been violated by filing a complaint.
In all cases, the person who seeks court relief serves the other side with a copy of the pleadings and the other side then files some sort of answer admitting or denying the claims. It is the answer that defines what is agreed upon and what needs a resolution, by a judge or a jury.
Judges don’t vie to see who gets a case. Cases are routinely assigned to a judge. In the civil and criminal law, if a party doesn't want the assigned judge each side is entitled as a matter of right to a change of judge without any explanation. All that is required is a pleading entitled “Notice of Change of Judge” stating the name of the judge to be changed.
A party waives/loses the right to a change of judge of right when the party participates before the judge in a contested matter. That makes sense – you don’t get a “do over” because you don’t like the result.
People who participate in a case and don’t like the result are entitled to appeal the decision and have a group of judges review the case for mistakes by the trial judge.
That seems like a fair process to me.