Judges is an anonymous book
Unlike letters that begin by naming Paul, Peter, or James, Judges opens without telling readers who recorded its history. The author remains unnamed. That is why the most careful answer is simple: we do not know for certain who wrote the book of Judges.
This does not mean the book lacks purpose or authority. Its writer carefully tells how Israel repeatedly turned from the Lord, suffered under surrounding enemies, cried out, and received deliverers such as Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. The pattern is introduced early in the book, where Israel's unfaithfulness and God's mercy are set side by side (Judges 2:11-19).
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Why Samuel is often suggested
Jewish tradition has commonly identified Samuel as the author or compiler of Judges. Samuel was recognised in Israel as a prophet through whom God spoke, and he served during the transition from the era of judges to Israel's first kings (1 Samuel 3:19-20). That makes him a plausible figure to connect with the book's setting.
Still, Scripture never says, "Samuel wrote Judges." So it is better to call this a longstanding tradition than a settled biblical fact. Some readers also think that later prophets or scribes may have gathered older records and shaped them into the book we have.
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
The book looks back on the judges
Several comments in Judges suggest the writer was looking back on an earlier age. The book repeats that there was no king in Israel, especially when describing the confusion and violence near its end (Judges 17:6; 21:25). Those remarks make most sense if the writer lived when kingship was already familiar to Israel.
The final chapters are not simply saying that every problem would be solved by having a king. They expose what happened when people abandoned God's ways and each person followed his own judgement. The book's central concern is faithfulness to the Lord, not nostalgia for political power.
Read Judges for its message
Knowing the author's name can be helpful, but Judges itself directs our attention elsewhere. It shows the damage caused by idolatry and compromise, yet it also shows God's patience when his people cry to him. Even flawed leaders become reminders that Israel needed deeper rescue than any one judge could provide.
So, if you are reading Judges, don't get stuck at the title page. Notice the cycle in the stories, ask what Israel trusted instead of God, and see how the book prepares us to long for a righteous ruler. Its anonymous author has given us a painfully honest record of human wandering and God's continuing mercy.