What duties did Montesquieu perform at the Parlement of Bordeaux?

In 1716, Montesquieu inherited the office of deputy president in the Parlement of Bordeaux from his uncle. As a deputy president, he was responsible for exercising judicial functions, which involved the detailed study of Roman law.1

While the parlements were fundamentally law courts created to dispense justice in the king's name, they also performed various quasi-administrative duties, including the supervision of police, charity, education, and ecclesiastical discipline. Furthermore, these bodies held the power to register royal decrees, a process necessary for such decrees to become binding law. Montesquieu held this position until 1726, when he sold the office to help reestablish his finances and facilitate his residency in Paris.231