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class="mw-parser-output"><p class="mw-empty-elt"></p><center><img src="https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/d/db/SCOTUS-Building_at_an_Angle.jpg" width="100%" /></center> <p class="mw-empty-elt"></p> <div class="bp-dropdown-menu"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Justices</a> <ul><li><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Official roberts CJ.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/50px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="67" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/75px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/100px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 2x" data-file-width="392" data-file-height="523" /></a></div></div><a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS</a></li> <li><a href="/Associate_Justice" title="Associate Justice">ASSOCIATE JUSTICES</a> <ul><li><a href="/File:Alito.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Alito.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/3d/Alito.jpg/50px-Alito.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="67" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/3d/Alito.jpg/75px-Alito.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/3d/Alito.jpg/100px-Alito.jpg 2x" data-file-width="140" data-file-height="187" /></a><a href="/Samuel_Alito" title="Samuel Alito">SAMUEL ALITO</a></li> <li><a href="/File:AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" class="image"><img alt="AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/50px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="75" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/75px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/100px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="300" /></a> <a href="/Amy_Coney_Barrett" title="Amy Coney Barrett">AMY CONEY BARRETT</a></li> <li><a href="/File:NeilGorsuch.gif" class="image"><img alt="NeilGorsuch.gif" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/f7/NeilGorsuch.gif/50px-NeilGorsuch.gif" decoding="async" width="50" height="65" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/f7/NeilGorsuch.gif/75px-NeilGorsuch.gif 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/f/f7/NeilGorsuch.gif 2x" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="130" /></a> <a href="/Neil_Gorsuch" title="Neil Gorsuch">NEIL GORSUCH</a></li> <li><a href="/File:Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/50px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" decoding="async" width="50" height="70" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/75px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/100px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="700" data-file-height="980" /></a> <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">KETANJI BROWN JACKSON</a></li> <li><a href="/File:Elena_Kagan.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Elena Kagan.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/50px-Elena_Kagan.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="67" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/75px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/100px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1315" data-file-height="1753" /></a><a href="/Elena_Kagan" title="Elena Kagan">ELENA KAGAN</a></li> <li><a href="/File:Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Judge Brett Kavanaugh2.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/50px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="70" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/75px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/100px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="240" data-file-height="336" /></a><a href="/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh">BRETT KAVANAUGH</a></li> <li><a href="/File:Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Sonia Sotomayor official.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/50px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="67" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/75px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/100px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1058" data-file-height="1410" /></a><a href="/Sonia_Sotomayor" title="Sonia Sotomayor">SONIA SOTOMAYOR</a></li> <li><a href="/File:ClarenceThomas.jpg" class="image"><img alt="ClarenceThomas.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/50px-ClarenceThomas.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="67" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/75px-ClarenceThomas.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/100px-ClarenceThomas.jpg 2x" data-file-width="217" data-file-height="290" /></a><a href="/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court)" title="Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)">CLARENCE THOMAS</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">CASES BY TERM</a> <ul><li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2024-2025" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025">Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2023-2024" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024">Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2022-2023" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023">Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2021-2022" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022">Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2020-2021" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021">Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2019-2020" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020">Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2018-2019" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019">Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2017-2018" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018">Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2016-2017" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2016-2017">Supreme Court cases, October term 2016-2017</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2015-2016" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2015-2016">Supreme Court cases, October term 2015-2016</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">All earlier cases</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/History_of_the_Supreme_Court" title="History of the Supreme Court">HISTORY OF THE COURT</a> <ul><li><a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts#Cases_by_chief_justice" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">Cases by chief justice</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts#Cases_by_decade" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">Cases by decade</a></li></ul></li> <li>Recent vacancies <ul><li><a href="/Supreme_Court_vacancy,_2022" title="Supreme Court vacancy, 2022">2022 VACANCY AND JACKSON CONFIRMATION</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_vacancy,_2020" title="Supreme Court vacancy, 2020">2020 VACANCY AND BARRETT CONFIRMATION</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_vacancy,_2018:_An_overview" title="Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview">2018 VACANCY AND KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_vacancy,_2017:_An_overview" title="Supreme Court vacancy, 2017: An overview">2017 VACANCY AND GORSUCH CONFIRMATION</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div> <table class="infobox" style="text-align: center; width:18%"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#2d4299; color:#ee971e"><big><b><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><span style="color:#ee971e;">SCOTUS</span></a></b><big> </big></big></th></tr> <tr> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/File:Fedbadgesmall.png" class="image"><img alt="Great seal of the United States.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/135px-Fedbadgesmall.png" decoding="async" width="135" height="135" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/203px-Fedbadgesmall.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/270px-Fedbadgesmall.png 2x" data-file-width="275" data-file-height="275" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color:#2d4299; color:#ee971e">Judgeships </th></tr> <tr> <td><small><b>Posts:</b> 9</small> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small><b>Judges:</b> 9</small> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small><b>Vacancies:</b> 0</small> </td></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color:#2d4299; color:#ee971e">Judges </th></tr> <tr> <td><small><b>Chief:</b> <a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a></small> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small><b>Active judges:</b> <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Samuel_Alito">Samuel Alito</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Amy_Coney_Barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Neil_Gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Elena_Kagan">Elena Kagan</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Brett_Kavanaugh">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)">John Roberts</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Sonia_Sotomayor">Sonia Sotomayor</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court)">Clarence Thomas</a><br /> </small><p><small><b>Senior judges:</b><br /><a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Stephen_Breyer">Stephen Breyer</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Anthony_Kennedy">Anthony Kennedy</a>, <a style="font-size: .85em;" href="https://ballotpedia.org/David_Souter">David Souter</a></small> </p> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p><br /> </p><p>The <b>Supreme Court of the United States</b> is the highest judicial body in the country and leads the judicial branch of the federal government. It is often referred to by the acronym <b>SCOTUS</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> </p><p>The Supreme Court consists of nine justices: the <a href="/Supreme_Court_Chief_Justice" class="mw-redirect" title="Supreme Court Chief Justice">Chief Justice of the United States</a> and eight <a href="/Associate_Justice" title="Associate Justice">Associate Justices</a>. The justices are nominated by the <a href="/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States">president</a> and confirmed with the <a href="/Advice_and_Consent" title="Advice and Consent">"advice and consent"</a> of the <a href="/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">United States Senate</a> per <a href="/Article_II,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article II, United States Constitution">Article II of the United States Constitution</a>. As federal judges, the justices serve during "good behavior," which means that justices have tenure for life unless they are removed by impeachment and subsequent conviction.<sup id="cite_ref-overview_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-overview-2">[2]</a></sup> </p><p>On January 27, 2022, Justice <a href="/Stephen_Breyer" title="Stephen Breyer">Stephen Breyer</a> officially announced he would retire at the start of the court's summer recess.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup> Breyer assumed <a href="/Senior_status" class="mw-redirect" title="Senior status">senior status</a> on June 30, 2022.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a> was <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson_confirmation_hearings_and_votes" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings and votes">confirmed</a> to fill the vacancy by the Senate in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022.<sup id="cite_ref-convote_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-convote-6">[6]</a></sup> <a href="/Supreme_Court_vacancy,_2022" title="Supreme Court vacancy, 2022">Click here</a> to read more. </p><p>The Supreme Court is the only court established by the <a href="/United_States_Constitution" title="United States Constitution">United States Constitution</a> (in <a href="/Article_III" class="mw-redirect" title="Article III">Article III</a>); all other federal courts are created by <a href="/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress">Congress</a>. </p><p>The Supreme Court meets in <a href="/Washington,_D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a>, in the United States Supreme Court building. The Supreme Court's yearly term begins on the first Monday in October and lasts until the first Monday in October the following year. The court generally releases the majority of its decisions in mid-June.<sup id="cite_ref-overview_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-overview-2">[2]</a></sup> </p><p> </p><div id="div-gpt-ad-1548351617089-0"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548351617089-0'); }); </script> </div><div id="div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049" class="publirAds"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == "div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049") {googletag.display("div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049");} });});</script></div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"></p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Active_Justices">Active Justices</span></h2> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Article_III_Justices">Article III Justices</span></h3> <dl><dd><i>See: <a href="/Federal_judge#Federal_judges,_Article_III" title="Federal judge">Article III federal judge</a></i></dd></dl> <div style="overflow:scroll;"> <table class="wikitable sortable" style="align: center; border: 0px; background: white; text-align: center; box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px #A0A0A0; width: 100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="7" style="background-color:#2B2B2B; border: 1px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px #A0A0A0; color: white; font-size:120%; padding-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 0.25em;">Article III Justices </th></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6; border: 0px;width: 22%;">Judge </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6; border: 0px;width: 13%;">Born </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6;border: 0px;width: 13%;">Home </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6;border: 0px;width: 13%;">Appointed<br />by </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6;border: 0px;width: 13%;">Active </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6;border: 0px;width: 13%;">Preceeded<br />by </th> <th style="background-color:#F6F6F6;border: 0px;width: 13%;">Law school </th></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Alito.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Alito.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/3/3d/Alito.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" data-file-width="140" data-file-height="187" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Samuel_Alito" title="Samuel Alito">Samuel Alito</a></b></td> <td>April 1, 1950</td> <td>Trenton, N.J.</td> <td><a href="/George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush">W. Bush</a></td> <td>January 31, 2006 - Present</td> <td><a href="/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor" title="Sandra Day O'Connor">Sandra Day O'Connor</a></td> <td>Yale Law School, 1975 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Official roberts CJ.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/150px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/225px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/300px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 2x" data-file-width="392" data-file-height="523" /></a></div></div> Chief justice<br /><b><a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a></b></td> <td>January 27, 1955</td> <td>Buffalo, N.Y.</td> <td><a href="/George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush">W. Bush</a></td> <td>September 29, 2005 - Present</td> <td><a href="/William_Rehnquist" title="William Rehnquist">William Rehnquist</a></td> <td>Harvard Law, 1979 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:ClarenceThomas.jpg" class="image"><img alt="ClarenceThomas.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/150px-ClarenceThomas.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="217" data-file-height="290" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court)" title="Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)">Clarence Thomas</a></b></td> <td>June 23, 1948</td> <td>Savannah, Ga.</td> <td><a href="/George_H.W._Bush" title="George H.W. Bush">H.W. Bush</a></td> <td>July 1, 1991 - Present</td> <td><a href="/Thurgood_Marshall" title="Thurgood Marshall">Thurgood Marshall</a></td> <td>Yale Law School, 1974 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Elena_Kagan.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Elena Kagan.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/150px-Elena_Kagan.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/225px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/300px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1315" data-file-height="1753" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Elena_Kagan" title="Elena Kagan">Elena Kagan</a></b></td> <td>April 28, 1960</td> <td>New York, N.Y.</td> <td><a href="/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Obama</a></td> <td>August 7, 2010 - Present</td> <td><a href="/John_Paul_Stevens" title="John Paul Stevens">John Paul Stevens</a></td> <td>Harvard Law School, J.D., 1986 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Sonia Sotomayor official.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/150px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/225px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/300px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1058" data-file-height="1410" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Sonia_Sotomayor" title="Sonia Sotomayor">Sonia Sotomayor</a></b></td> <td>June 25, 1954</td> <td>New York, N.Y.</td> <td><a href="/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Obama</a></td> <td>August 6, 2009 - Present</td> <td><a href="/David_Souter" title="David Souter">David Souter</a></td> <td>Yale Law School, 1979 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_(cropped_2).jpg" class="image"><img alt="Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch Official Portrait (cropped 2).jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/c/c8/Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg/150px-Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="191" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/c/c8/Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg/225px-Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/c/c8/Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg/300px-Associate_Justice_Neil_Gorsuch_Official_Portrait_%28cropped_2%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="680" data-file-height="867" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Neil_Gorsuch" title="Neil Gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a></b></td> <td>August 29, 1967</td> <td>Denver, Colo.</td> <td><a href="/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Trump</a></td> <td>April 10, 2017 - Present</td> <td><a href="/Antonin_Scalia" title="Antonin Scalia">Antonin Scalia</a></td> <td>Harvard Law School, 1991 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Judge Brett Kavanaugh2.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/150px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="210" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/225px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="240" data-file-height="336" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh">Brett Kavanaugh</a></b></td> <td>February 12, 1965</td> <td>Washington, D.C.</td> <td><a href="/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Trump</a></td> <td>October 6, 2018 - Present</td> <td><a href="/Anthony_Kennedy" title="Anthony Kennedy">Anthony Kennedy</a></td> <td>Yale Law School, 1990 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" class="image"><img alt="AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/150px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="225" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="300" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Amy_Coney_Barrett" title="Amy Coney Barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a></b></td> <td>January 28, 1972</td> <td>New Orleans, La.</td> <td><a href="/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Trump</a></td> <td>October 26, 2020 - Present</td> <td><a href="/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg" title="Ruth Bader Ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a></td> <td>Notre Dame Law School, 1997 </td></tr> <tr> <td><div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/150px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg" decoding="async" width="150" height="210" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/225px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Ketanjijackson2.jpeg/300px-Ketanjijackson2.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="700" data-file-height="980" /></a></div></div> Associate justice<br /><b><a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a></b></td> <td>September 14, 1970</td> <td>Washington, D.C.</td> <td><a href="/Joe_Biden" title="Joe Biden">Biden</a></td> <td>June 30, 2022 - present</td> <td><a href="/Stephen_Breyer" title="Stephen Breyer">Stephen Breyer</a></td> <td>Harvard Law School, 1996 </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="SCOTUS_background">SCOTUS background</span></h2> <p><a href="/Article_III,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article III, United States Constitution">Article III of the United States Constitution</a> describes the original framework for the <a href="/Judicial_Branch" title="Judicial Branch">Judicial Branch</a>. It establishes the U.S. Supreme Court as the nation's highest court and gives Congress the authority to create lower federal courts. </p> <h3><span id="Article_III.2C_Section_1"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Article_III,_Section_1">Article III, Section 1</span></h3> <p>Section 1 establishes the Supreme Court of the United States. It gives <a href="/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress">Congress</a> the power to organize the Supreme Court and to establish lower courts. It also states that justices can serve on the court for as long as they maintain "good Behaviour," and that the justices should be compensated for their service. </p> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>Text of Section 1:</b><br /> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.<sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Size_of_the_court">Size of the court</span></h4> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/United_States_court_reorganization_legislation" title="United States court reorganization legislation">United States court reorganization legislation</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <div style="float:right"> <table class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="205"> <tbody><tr> <td><div class="thumb embedvideo autoResize" style="width: 258px;"><div class="embedvideo autoResize" style=""><div class="embedvideowrap youtube" style="width: 250px"><iframe loading="lazy" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" modestbranding="1" width="250" height="141" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/FhP0p_Yu4WA"></iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size:80%">History Central, "Supreme Court of the United States."</span> </td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p>Article III gives Congress the authority to set the number of Supreme Court justices. The court has one <a href="/Chief_Justice" title="Chief Justice">chief justice</a> and eight <a href="/Associate_Justice" title="Associate Justice">associate justices</a>, but the number has fluctuated since 1789. </p> <ul><li>Originally, the total number of justices was set at six by the <a href="/Judiciary_Act_of_1789" title="Judiciary Act of 1789">Judiciary Act of 1789</a>. President <a href="/George_Washington" title="George Washington">George Washington</a> signed the act into law on September 24, 1789, and he nominated <a href="/John_Jay" title="John Jay">John Jay</a> to serve as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The <a href="/Judiciary_Act_of_1801" title="Judiciary Act of 1801">Judiciary Act of 1801</a> reduced the number of justices from six to five.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>In 1807, Congress increased the number of justices on the Supreme Court to seven "in response to the geographic expansion of the nation and the increased caseload of the district courts in the west. The act established a Seventh Circuit, consisting of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and specified that the new justice be assigned to preside over the U.S. circuit courts within that circuit."<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The <a href="/Eighth_and_Ninth_Circuits_Act_of_1837" class="mw-redirect" title="Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837">Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837</a> created the Eighth and Ninth Circuits to provide for an expanded caseload due to the admission of new states to the Union. This Act also rearranged the Seventh Circuit and created two new seats on the Supreme Court to support the circuit court.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The <a href="/Tenth_Circuit_Act_of_1863" class="mw-redirect" title="Tenth Circuit Act of 1863">Tenth Circuit Act of 1863</a> created the Tenth Circuit to represent <a href="/California" title="California">California</a> and <a href="/Oregon" title="Oregon">Oregon</a>, eliminated the California Circuit Court and added another member to the Supreme Court. This act gave the Supreme Court its highest number of members in history, with the chief justice and nine associate justices serving.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The <a href="/Judicial_Circuits_Act_of_1866" class="mw-redirect" title="Judicial Circuits Act of 1866">Judicial Circuits Act of 1866</a> reorganized the circuits in the thirty-six state nation, reducing the number of circuits from ten to nine. This reorganization created a basic structure of circuits lasting to present day. The Act also eliminated three positions on the Supreme Court.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The <a href="/Judiciary_Act_of_1869" class="mw-redirect" title="Judiciary Act of 1869">Judiciary Act of 1869</a> again increased the size of the Supreme Court, setting it at nine justices, one for each circuit.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14">[14]</a></sup></li></ul> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Tenure">Tenure</span></h4> <p>According to <i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "The Constitution states that Justices 'shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.' This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment. The only Justice to be impeached was Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. The House of Representatives passed Articles of Impeachment against him; however, he was acquitted by the Senate."<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a></sup> </p> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Salary">Salary</span></h4> <p><a href="/Article_III,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article III, United States Constitution">Section I</a> states that justices will "receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office." According to the Judicial Learning Center, "This security allows judges to decide each case strictly in terms of the legal issues in front of them, no matter how unpopular their decisions may be," which helps guarantee <a href="/Judicial_independence" class="mw-redirect" title="Judicial independence">judicial independence</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup> In 2016, the salary for Chief Justice <a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a> was set at $260,700, and the salary for the associate justices was set at $249,300.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a></sup>  </p><div id="div-gpt-ad-1548351617089-0"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548351617089-0'); }); </script> </div><div id="div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049" class="publirAds"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == "div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049") {googletag.display("div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3049");} });});</script></div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"></p> <h3><span id="Article_III.2C_Section_2"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Article_III,_Section_2">Article III, Section 2</span></h3> <p><a href="/Article_III,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article III, United States Constitution">Section 2</a> establishes the court's jurisdiction. The court has <a href="/Original_jurisdiction" title="Original jurisdiction">original</a> and <a href="/Appellate_jurisdiction" title="Appellate jurisdiction">appellate jurisdiction</a>. </p><p>Original jurisdiction is "a court's power to hear and decide a case before any appellate review."<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18">[18]</a></sup> According to <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1251">28 U.S. Code § 1251</a>, the Supreme Court has "original and exclusive jurisdiction of all controversies between two or more States." It also has "original but not exclusive jurisdiction of: (1) All actions or proceedings to which ambassadors, other public ministers, consuls, or vice consuls of foreign states are parties; (2) All controversies between the United States and a State; (3) All actions or proceedings by a State against the citizens of another State or against aliens."<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup> </p><p>Appellate jurisdiction accounts for most of the cases on the court's docket, and is "The power of a court to hear appeals from lower courts. This includes the power to reverse or modify the the [<i>sic</i>] lower court's decision."<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20">[20]</a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>Text of Section 2:</b><br /> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;-- <a href="/Amendment_XI,_United_States_Constitution" title="Amendment XI, United States Constitution">between a State and Citizens of another State</a>,--between Citizens of different States,--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects. <p>In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make. </p><p>The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.<sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </p> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Nomination_and_confirmation_process">Nomination and confirmation process</span></h3> <p><a href="/Article_II,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article II, United States Constitution">Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution</a> gives the <a href="/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States">President of the United States</a> the authority to nominate Supreme Court justices, and they are appointed with the <a href="/Advice_and_Consent" title="Advice and Consent">advice and consent</a> of the <a href="/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">Senate</a>. The newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, was nominated by President <a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Joe_Biden" title="Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden">Joe Biden</a> (D) on February 28, 2022, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 7, 2022. </p> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>Text of Section 2:</b><br /> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. <p>The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. <sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </p> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Choosing_a_nominee">Choosing a nominee</span></h4> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:162px;"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG/160px-Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG" decoding="async" width="160" height="204" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG/240px-Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG/320px-Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG 2x" data-file-width="655" data-file-height="834" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/File:Gerald_R._Ford_potential_Supreme_Court_nominees.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>List of potential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court drawn up by Attorney General Levi and annotated and amended by President Gerald R. Ford.</div></div></div> <p>Although the rules for appointing and confirming a <a class="mw-selflink selflink"> U.S. Supreme Court</a> justice are set out in the U.S. Constitution, the process for choosing nominees is not codified in law. Past presidents have received lists of recommendations from the White House counsel, the attorney general and lawyers in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Justices have often been friends or acquaintances who shared ideological views with the president.<sup id="cite_ref-nbc_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nbc-21">[21]</a></sup> </p><p>The nominating process is also influenced by individuals and organizations outside of the administration. The American Bar Association (ABA), through its 15-member Committee on Federal Judiciary, rates nominees as "well qualified," "qualified" or "not qualified." Others also lobby the president to choose nominees sympathetic to their views or to oppose those with whom they differ.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22">[22]</a></sup> </p><p>Some presidents have required that a nominee hold a specific position on a key issue in order to be considered for nomination, sometimes referred to as a <i>litmus test</i>. Such a test is typically on an important social issue. But a nominee's views do not always conform to their future opinions. Some justices have ruled in ways that surprised the presidents who nominated them. Notable examples are Justice Tom C. Clark (nominated by President Harry S. Truman), Chief Justice <a href="/Earl_Warren" title="Earl Warren">Earl Warren</a> (nominated by President <a href="/Dwight_D._Eisenhower" class="mw-redirect" title="Dwight D. Eisenhower">Dwight D. Eisenhower</a>) and Justice <a href="/David_Souter" title="David Souter">David Souter</a> (nominated by President <a href="/George_H._W._Bush" class="mw-redirect" title="George H. W. Bush">George H. W. Bush</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup> </p><p>The usual nomination process starts with the president choosing a nominee. It is not uncommon for the president to consult Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee before deciding on a nominee.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS1_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS1-24">[24]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-CRS2_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS2-25">[25]</a></sup> </p> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Consideration_by_the_Senate_Judiciary">Consideration by the Senate Judiciary</span></h4> <div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:302px;"><img alt="" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/30/Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg/300px-Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="201" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/30/Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg/450px-Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/3/30/Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="401" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/File:Photograph_of_President_William_J._Clinton_Attending_the_Swearing-In_of_Judge_Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg_as_Associate_Supreme_Court_Justice2.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>"Ruth Bader Ginsburg being sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court while President Bill Clinton looks on.," August 10, 1993</div></div></div> <p>After the president nominates an individual, the <a href="/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary">Senate Judiciary Committee</a> conducts a rigorous investigation into the nominee’s background, gleaning a sense of his or her judicial philosophy and temperament, which helps inform whether the senator will support the nominee. During this part of the process, the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary reviews the nominee. The nominee also visits with senators in their offices in order to help win support for nomination. The most public aspect of the process is when the nominee testifies before the Judiciary Committee and takes questions. The hearing, which is kept open at the discretion of the chair, can last more than a day, as members, particularly opponents, verbally spar with the nominee. Having the nominee appear before the committee became a part of the process beginning with the nomination of John M. Harlan in 1955. The first televised Supreme Court nomination hearing took place in 1981 for Sandra Day O’Connor.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS1_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS1-24">[24]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-CRS2_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS2-25">[25]</a></sup> </p><p>Typically, a week after the hearing is adjourned, the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a vote on the nominee. The committee’s practice has been to send the nomination, whether or not the nominee wins a majority, to the full Senate to allow the chamber to decide whether he or she should be confirmed.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS1_24-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS1-24">[24]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-CRS2_25-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS2-25">[25]</a></sup> </p> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/John_G._Roberts.jpg/180px-John_G._Roberts.jpg" decoding="async" width="180" height="120" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/John_G._Roberts.jpg/270px-John_G._Roberts.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/John_G._Roberts.jpg/360px-John_G._Roberts.jpg 2x" data-file-width="514" data-file-height="343" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/File:John_G._Roberts.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>"President George W. Bush watches as Judge John G. Roberts is sworn-in as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States by Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens," September 29, 2005.</div></div></div> <p>The debate in the Senate is scheduled by the Senate majority leader in consultation with the minority leader. In 2013, the Senate lowered the threshold to close debate on most nominations to a simple majority from 60 votes. But the change did not affect Supreme Court nominees, whose confirmation requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and end debate and proceed to a confirmation vote.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS1_24-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS1-24">[24]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-CRS2_25-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS2-25">[25]</a></sup> </p> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Recess_appointment">Recess appointment</span></h4> <p>The president also may choose to make a recess appointment, which would avoid the need for Senate confirmation. But the justice's term would end with the end of the next session of Congress, rather than the lifetime appointments provided by Senate confirmation. There have been 12 recess appointments made to the Supreme Court, most in the 19th century, according to the Congressional Research Service. The most recent was made by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.<sup id="cite_ref-CRS1_24-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS1-24">[24]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-CRS2_25-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CRS2-25">[25]</a></sup> </p> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Oath_of_office">Oath of office</span></h4> <p>When a Supreme Court nominee is confirmed by the Senate, <a href="/Article_VI,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article VI, United States Constitution">Article VI of the U.S. Constitution</a> requires the individual to take an oath of office before officially taking his or her place on the court. </p> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>Text of Article VI:</b><br /> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.<sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>The Constitutional Oath:</b><br /> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">I, _________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.<sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Nominees must also take a judicial oath. According to <i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "The origin of the second oath is found in the Judiciary Act of 1789, which reads 'the justices of the Supreme Court, and the district judges, before they proceed to execute the duties of their respective offices' to take a second oath or affirmation."<sup id="cite_ref-oath_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-oath-26">[26]</a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable" style="border-left:solid 0px; border-right:solid 0px; border-top:solid 3px #00008B; border-bottom:solid 3px #00008B; background-color:#E5E5E5; width:95%; font-size:90%;" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><b>The Judicial Oath<br /></b> <table data-nosnippet="" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;">“ </td> <td valign="top" style="border: none; padding: 4px 10px;">I, _________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as _________ under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.<sup id="cite_ref-oath_26-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-oath-26">[26]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7">[7]</a></sup> </td> <td width="20" valign="bottom" style="border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;">” </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Code_of_conduct">Code of conduct</span></h3> <p>The Supreme Court released a code of conduct for Supreme Court justices on November 13, 2023. A statement prefacing the code said, "For the most part these rules and principles are not new. [...] The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules. To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct."<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27">[27]</a></sup> </p><p>All nine sitting justices at the time, Justices Roberts, Alito, Barrett, Gorsuch, Jackson, Kagan, Kavanaugh, Sotomayor, and Thomas, signed onto the code. <i>Reuters'</i> Andrew Chung and John Kruzel wrote, "The new code drew mixed reviews, with some critics noting the apparent absence of any enforcement mechanism. It was adopted after a series of media reports detailing ethics questions surrounding some Supreme Court members."<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28">[28]</a></sup> </p><p>Expand the section below to read the text of the code of conduct as released on November 13, 2023. <script type="text/javascript">document.addEventListener('readystatechange', e => { if (document.readyState === 'complete') { if ($(window).width() < 767) { $.each($('.portal-collapse-on-small'), function () { $(this).collapse('hide'); }); } } });</script> </p> <div class="portal-section-collapsible portal-toggle-section"><div class="portal-toggle-container"><a class="portal-toggle-link collapsed" role="button" data-toggle="collapse" href="#code" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="code">Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (click to expand)</a></div><div class="collapse" id="code"><div class="portal-section"><br /> <iframe class="pdf-embed" width="800" height="600" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/6/60/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf#page=1" style="max-width: 100%;"></iframe></div></div></div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Circuit_assignments">Circuit assignments</span></h2> <p>Each Supreme Court justice is assigned to one of the 13 <a href="/United_States_court_of_appeals" class="mw-redirect" title="United States court of appeals">circuit courts of appeals</a>, according to <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/42">Title 28, United States Code, Section 42</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29">[29]</a></sup> "Circuit Justices are responsible for ruling on certain motions arising from their assigned circuits, such as motions for extensions of time. In the case motions for a stay of execution or other motions relating to death penalty matters, the Circuit Justice ordinarily refers the motion to the Court as a whole, but takes the lead in recommending a disposition of the motion," according to <i>SCOTUSblog</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30">[30]</a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1" style="width:95%; text-align:center"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="4" align="center" style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>SCOTUS Circuit Court Assignments</b> </th></tr> <tr> <th align="center" style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Federal Circuit Court </th> <th align="center" style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Justice </th> <th align="center" style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">States </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_District_of_Columbia_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit">District of Columbia Circuit</a></td> <td>Chief Justice <a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a></td> <td>District of Columbia </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_1st_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit">First Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a></td> <td>Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_2nd_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit">Second Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Sonia_Sotomayor" title="Sonia Sotomayor">Sonia Sotomayor</a></td> <td>Connecticut, New York, Vermont </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_3rd_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit">Third Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Samuel_Alito" title="Samuel Alito">Samuel Alito</a></td> <td>Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_4th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit">Fourth Circuit</a></td> <td>Chief Justice <a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a></td> <td>Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_5th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit">Fifth Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Samuel_Alito" title="Samuel Alito">Samuel Alito</a></td> <td>Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_6th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit">Sixth Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh">Brett Kavanaugh</a></td> <td>Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_7th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit">Seventh Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Amy_Coney_Barrett" title="Amy Coney Barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a></td> <td>Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_8th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit">Eighth Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh">Brett Kavanaugh</a></td> <td>Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit">Ninth Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Elena_Kagan" title="Elena Kagan">Elena Kagan</a></td> <td>Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Washington </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_10th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit">Tenth Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Neil_Gorsuch" title="Neil Gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a></td> <td>Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_11th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit">Eleventh Circuit</a></td> <td>Justice <a href="/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court)" title="Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)">Clarence Thomas</a></td> <td>Alabama, Florida, Georgia </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Federal_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit">Federal Circuit</a></td> <td>Chief Justice <a href="/John_Roberts_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Roberts (Supreme Court)">John Roberts</a></td> <td>The Federal Circuit's jurisdiction is determined by the subject of the lawsuit, not geographical location. </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Click on your region to find more information about the court of appeals for your state. </p> <center><div class="noresize"><map name="ImageMap_1b7758e8ac5510ad"><area href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_1st_Circuit" shape="poly" coords="894,155,892,128,897,113,915,109,924,115,932,143,936,145,940,151,946,151,951,161,940,169,942,177,942,182,939,190,932,197,927,199,918,200,913,198,909,195,907,204,902,212,901,217,906,222,903,229,907,231,913,238,920,239,920,233,922,233,924,238,915,244,904,247,893,254,889,239,864,244,864,229,876,227,874,206,876,200,875,191,881,187,880,169,889,164,892,163" alt="United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals 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Appeals for the 1st Circuit" /><area href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_3rd_Circuit" shape="poly" coords="937,479,946,515,980,512,971,474,942,476,937,479" alt="United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit" /></map><img alt="US Court of Appeals and District Court map.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/bd/US_Court_of_Appeals_and_District_Court_map.jpg/1000px-US_Court_of_Appeals_and_District_Court_map.jpg" decoding="async" width="1000" height="647" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/bd/US_Court_of_Appeals_and_District_Court_map.jpg/1500px-US_Court_of_Appeals_and_District_Court_map.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/b/bd/US_Court_of_Appeals_and_District_Court_map.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1667" data-file-height="1079" usemap="#ImageMap_1b7758e8ac5510ad" /></div></center> <p> </p><div id="div-gpt-ad-1548351706778-0"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548351706778-0'); }); </script> </div><div id="div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3050" class="publirAds"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == "div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3050") {googletag.display("div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3050");} });});</script></div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"></p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Political_ideology_of_the_justices">Political ideology of the justices</span></h2> <p>Although the justices do not represent political parties, media outlets such as <i>The Washington Post</i> commonly characterize Justices Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor as liberal and Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito, Gorsuch, and Thomas as conservative.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31">[31]</a></sup> </p><p>Supreme Court scholars have also developed measures of the justices' political ideologies, such as the Segal-Cover score. The Segal-Cover score, which was first presented in a 1989 paper by State University of New York-Stony Brook professors Jeffrey Segal and Albert Cover, is based on an analysis of newspaper editorials published between the time of each justice's nomination to the Supreme Court and his or her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Scores range from 0, which is the most conservative, to 100, which is the most liberal.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32">[32]</a></sup> </p><p>Updated Segal-Cover scores were included in the January 17, 2021, version of The Supreme Court Justices Database, a project led by Washington University in St. Louis professors Lee Epstein and Nancy Staudt and Emory University professor Thomas Walker.<sup id="cite_ref-scotusdatabase_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-scotusdatabase-33">[33]</a></sup> The January 2021 scores for the justices appear below from most liberal to most conservative. </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" colspan="10" align="center"><b>Political ideology of Supreme Court justices<sup id="cite_ref-scotusdatabase_33-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-scotusdatabase-33">[33]</a></sup></b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/File:Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Sonia Sotomayor official.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/85px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="113" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/128px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/b/b6/Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg/170px-Sonia_Sotomayor_official.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1058" data-file-height="1410" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:Elena_Kagan.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Elena Kagan.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/85px-Elena_Kagan.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="113" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/128px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Elena_Kagan.jpg/170px-Elena_Kagan.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1315" data-file-height="1753" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:Stephen_Breyer.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Stephen Breyer.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/0e/Stephen_Breyer.jpg/85px-Stephen_Breyer.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="113" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/0e/Stephen_Breyer.jpg/128px-Stephen_Breyer.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/0e/Stephen_Breyer.jpg/170px-Stephen_Breyer.jpg 2x" data-file-width="945" data-file-height="1260" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" class="image"><img alt="AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/85px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="128" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/128px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9d/AmyConeyBarrett.jpg/170px-AmyConeyBarrett.jpg 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="300" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:ClarenceThomas.jpg" class="image"><img alt="ClarenceThomas.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/85px-ClarenceThomas.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="114" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/128px-ClarenceThomas.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/a/a4/ClarenceThomas.jpg/170px-ClarenceThomas.jpg 2x" data-file-width="217" data-file-height="290" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Official roberts CJ.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/85px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="113" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/128px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/43/Official_roberts_CJ.jpg/170px-Official_roberts_CJ.jpg 2x" data-file-width="392" data-file-height="523" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:NeilGorsuch.gif" class="image"><img alt="NeilGorsuch.gif" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/f7/NeilGorsuch.gif/85px-NeilGorsuch.gif" decoding="async" width="85" height="111" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/f/f7/NeilGorsuch.gif 1.5x" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="130" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:Alito.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Alito.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/3d/Alito.jpg/85px-Alito.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="114" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/3d/Alito.jpg/128px-Alito.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/3/3d/Alito.jpg 2x" data-file-width="140" data-file-height="187" /></a> </td> <td><a href="/File:Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Judge Brett Kavanaugh2.jpg" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/85px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg" decoding="async" width="85" height="119" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/128px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg/170px-Judge_Brett_Kavanaugh2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="240" data-file-height="336" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Sotomayor: 78</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Kagan: 73</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Breyer: 47.5</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Barrett: 23</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Thomas: 16</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Roberts: 12</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Gorsuch: 11</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Alito: 10</b> </td> <td style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;"><b>Kavanaugh: 7</b> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Opinions">Opinions</span></h2> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">United States Supreme Court cases and courts</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2024 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2024-2025#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025">Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2023 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2023-2024#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024">Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2022 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2022-2023#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023">Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2021 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2021-2022#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022">Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2020 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2018-2019#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019">Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2019 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2018-2019#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019">Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2018 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2018-2019#Cases_by_date_of_opinion" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019">Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2017 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2017-2018" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018">Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2016 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2016_term" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2016 term">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2016 term</a></b></i> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2015 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2015_term" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2015 term">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2015 term</a></b></i> <ul><li><a href="/What_happens_to_this_term%27s_major_SCOTUS_cases_in_a_4-4_split%3F" class="mw-redirect" title="What happens to this term's major SCOTUS cases in a 4-4 split?">What happens to this term's major SCOTUS cases in a 4-4 split?</a></li></ul> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term">Major cases of the October 2014 term</a></b></i> <ul><li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Traffic_stops_and_police_accountability:_Heien_v._North_Carolina" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Heien v. North Carolina</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Religious_practices_in_prison:_Holt_v._Hobbs" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Holt v. Hobbs</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Overtime_pay:_Integrity_Staffing_Solutions_v._Busk" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Separation_of_powers:_Zivotofsky_v._Kerry" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Zivotofsky v. Kerry</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Destruction_of_evidence:_Yates_v._United_States" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Yates v. United States</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Redistricting:_Alabama_Legislative_Black_Caucus,_et_al._v._Alabama,_et_al." title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Alabama Legislative Black Caucus, et al. v. Alabama, et al.</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Threats:_Elonis_v._United_States" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Elonis v. United States</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Pregnancy_discrimination:_Young_v._United_Parcel_Service" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Young v. United Parcel Service</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Government_control_over_signs:_Reed_v._Town_of_Gilbert,_Arizona" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Housing_and_discrimination:_Texas_Department_of_Housing_and_Community_Affairs_v._Inclusive_Communities_Project" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Hiring_discrimination:_EEOC_v._Abercrombie_&_Fitch_Stores" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Arizona_State_Legislature_v._Arizona_Independent_Redistricting_Commission" title="Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission"><i>Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission</i></a></li> <li><a href="/King_v._Burwell" title="King v. Burwell"><i>King v. Burwell</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Obergefell_v._Hodges" title="Obergefell v. Hodges"><i>Obergefell v. Hodges</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2014_term#Lethal_injection:_Glossip_v._Gross" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2014 term"><i>Glossip v. Gross</i></a></li></ul> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term">Major cases of the October 2013 term</a></b></i> <ul><li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#Burwell_v._Hobby_Lobby_Stores,_Inc.;_Conestoga_Wood_Specialties_Corp._v._Burwell" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.; Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#McCullen_v._Coakley" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>McCullen v. Coakley</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#National_Labor_Relations_Board_v._Noel_Canning" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#Riley_v._California;_U.S._v._Wurie" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>Riley v. California; U.S. v. Wurie</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#American_Broadcasting_Companies,_Inc._v._Aereo,_Inc." title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Aereo, Inc.</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#Abramski_v._United_States" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>Abramski v. United States</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#Bond_v._United_States" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>Bond v. United States</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2013_term#Town_of_Greece,_New_York_v._Galloway" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2013 term"><i>Town of Greece, New York v. Galloway</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Schuette_v._Coalition_to_Defend_Affirmative_Action" title="Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action"><i>Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action</i></a></li> <li><a href="/McCutcheon_v._Federal_Election_Commission" title="McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission"><i>McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission</i></a></li></ul> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td><i><b>See also: <a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term">Major cases of the October 2012 term</a></b></i> <ul><li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#United_States_v._Windsor" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>United States v. Windsor</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Hollingsworth_v._Perry" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Hollingsworth v. Perry</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Shelby_County_v._Holder" title="Shelby County v. Holder"><i>Shelby County v. Holder</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Adoptive_Couple_v._Baby_Girl" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Vance_v._Ball_State_University" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Vance v. Ball State University</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Fisher_v._University_of_Texas" title="Fisher v. University of Texas"><i>Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Arizona_v._Inter_Tribal_Council_of_Arizona" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Association_for_Molecular_Pathology_v._Myriad_Genetics,_Inc." title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc.</i></a></li> <li><a href="/Major_cases_of_the_Supreme_Court_October_2012_term#Clapper_v._Amnesty_International_USA" title="Major cases of the Supreme Court October 2012 term"><i>Clapper v. Amnesty International USA</i></a></li></ul> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;">Historic cases </th></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> <ul><li><a href="/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller" title="District of Columbia v. Heller"><i>District of Columbia v. Heller</i></a> (2008)</li> <li><a href="/Brown_v._Board_of_Education" title="Brown v. Board of Education"><i>Brown v. Board of Education</i></a> (1954)</li> <li><a href="/West_Coast_Hotel_Co._v._Parrish" title="West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish"><i>West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish</i></a> (1937)</li> <li><a href="/Gibbons_v._Ogden" title="Gibbons v. Ogden"><i>Gibbons v. Ogden</i></a> (1924)</li> <li><a href="/Adkins_v._Children%27s_Hospital" title="Adkins v. Children's Hospital"><i>Adkins v. Children's Hospital</i></a> (1923)</li> <li><a href="/Lochner_v._New_York" title="Lochner v. New York"><i>Lochner v. New York</i></a> (1905)</li> <li><a href="/Plessy_v._Ferguson" title="Plessy v. Ferguson"><i>Plessy v. Ferguson</i></a> (1896)</li> <li><a href="/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford" title="Dred Scott v. Sandford"><i>Dred Scott v. Sandford</i></a> (1857)</li> <li><a href="/Sheldon_v._Sill" title="Sheldon v. Sill"><i>Sheldon v. Sill</i></a> (1850)</li> <li><a href="/McCulloch_v._Maryland" title="McCulloch v. Maryland"><i>McCulloch v. Maryland</i></a> (1819)</li> <li><a href="/Martin_v._Hunter%27s_Lessee" title="Martin v. Hunter's Lessee"><i>Martin v. Hunter's Lessee</i></a> (1816)</li> <li><a href="/Marbury_et_al._v._Madison" title="Marbury et al. v. Madison"><i>Marbury et al. v. Madison</i></a> (1803)</li></ul> <p><i><a href="/United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_and_courts" title="United States Supreme Court cases and courts">Click here for a comprehensive list of cases by chief justice and decade</a>.</i> </p> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <p><br /> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Former_Chief_Justices">Former Chief Justices</span></h2> <p>The following individuals previously served as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. </p> <table> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"> <ul><li><b><a href="/William_Rehnquist" title="William Rehnquist">William Rehnquist</a> - (<i>1986-2005</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Rehnquist_Court" title="The Rehnquist Court">The Rehnquist Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Warren_Burger" title="Warren Burger">Warren Burger</a> - (<i>1969-1986</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Burger_Court" title="The Burger Court">The Burger Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Earl_Warren" title="Earl Warren">Earl Warren</a> - (<i>1953-1969</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Warren_Court" title="The Warren Court">The Warren Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Fred_Vinson" class="mw-redirect" title="Fred Vinson">Fred Vinson</a> - (<i>1946-1953</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Vinson_Court" title="The Vinson Court">The Vinson Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Harlan_Fiske_Stone" title="Harlan Fiske Stone">Harlan Fiske Stone</a> - (<i>1941-1946</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Stone_Court" title="The Stone Court">The Stone Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> </td> <td valign="top"> <ul><li><b><a href="/Charles_Evans_Hughes" title="Charles Evans Hughes">Charles Evans Hughes</a> - (<i>1930-1941</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Hughes_Court" title="The Hughes Court">The Hughes Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/William_Howard_Taft" title="William Howard Taft">William Howard Taft</a> - (<i>1921-1930</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Taft_Court" title="The Taft Court">The Taft Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Edward_Douglass_White" title="Edward Douglass White">Edward Douglass White</a> - (<i>1910-1921</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_White_Court" title="The White Court">The White Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Melville_Fuller" class="mw-redirect" title="Melville Fuller">Melville Fuller</a> - (<i>1888-1910</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Fuller_Court" title="The Fuller Court">The Fuller Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Morrison_Waite" title="Morrison Waite">Morrison Waite</a> - (<i>1874-1888</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Waite_Court" title="The Waite Court">The Waite Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> </td> <td valign="top"> <ul><li><b><a href="/Salmon_Portland_Chase" title="Salmon Portland Chase">Salmon Portland Chase</a> - (<i>1864-1873</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Chase_Court" title="The Chase Court">The Chase Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Roger_Taney" class="mw-redirect" title="Roger Taney">Roger Taney</a> - (<i>1836-1864</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Taney_Court" title="The Taney Court">The Taney Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/John_Marshall_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Marshall (Supreme Court)">John Marshall</a> - (<i>1801-1835</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Marshall_Court" title="The Marshall Court">The Marshall Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/Oliver_Ellsworth" title="Oliver Ellsworth">Oliver Ellsworth</a> - (<i>1796-1800</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Ellsworth_Court" title="The Ellsworth Court">The Ellsworth Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b><a href="/John_Rutledge_(Supreme_Court)" title="John Rutledge (Supreme Court)">John Rutledge</a> - (<i>1795</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Rutledge_Court" title="The Rutledge Court">The Rutledge Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> </td> <td valign="top"> <ul><li><b><a href="/John_Jay" title="John Jay">John Jay</a> - (<i>1789-1795</i>)</b></li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li><a href="/The_Jay_Court" title="The Jay Court">The Jay Court</a></li></ul></dd></dl> </td></tr></tbody></table> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="The_Supreme_Court_Building">The Supreme Court Building</span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:162px;"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg/160px-Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="125" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg/240px-Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg/320px-Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="801" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/File:Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Construction_of_the_U.S._Supreme_Court_Building.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Construction of the U.S. Supreme Court Building in December, 1933.</div></div></div> <p>The Supreme Court first met in the Merchants Exchange Building in <a href="/New_York_City" class="mw-redirect" title="New York City">New York City</a> and then moved to Independence Hall in <a href="/Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania" title="Philadelphia, Pennsylvania">Philadelphia</a> when the federal government moved there in 1790. In 1800, when the federal government moved for a final time to <a href="/Washington,_D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a>, the court met in various rooms in the Capitol Building. "Additionally, the Court convened for a short period in a private house after the British set fire to the Capitol during the War of 1812. Following this episode, the Court returned to the Capitol and met from 1819 to 1860 in a chamber now restored as the 'Old Supreme Court Chamber.' Then from 1860 until 1935, the Court sat in what is now known as the 'Old Senate Chamber,'" according to <i>SupremCourt.gov</i>. In 1929, "architect Cass Gilbert was charged by Chief Justice Taft to design 'a building of dignity and importance suitable for its use as the permanent home of the Supreme Court of the United States.'" Construction was completed in 1935, and the court moved to its permanent residence at One First Street Northeast, Washington, D.C.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34">[34]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Seating">Seating</span></h3> <div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:162px;"><img alt="" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/160px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="91" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/240px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/320px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4200" data-file-height="2400" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/File:Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Inside the U.S. Supreme Court.</div></div></div> <p>According to <i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "As is customary in American courts, the nine Justices are seated by seniority on the Bench. The Chief Justice occupies the center chair; the senior Associate Justice sits to his right, the second senior to his left, and so on, alternating right and left by seniority."<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35">[35]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36">[36]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37">[37]</a></sup> <br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"); });</script></div><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h2> <ul class="gallery mw-gallery-packed-overlay"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 189.33333333333px"><div style="width: 189.33333333333px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 187.33333333333px;"><div style="margin:0px auto;"><a href="/File:Supreme_Court_Front.jpg" class="image" title="History of the Supreme Court"><img alt="History of the Supreme Court" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/09/Supreme_Court_Front.jpg/281px-Supreme_Court_Front.jpg" decoding="async" width="188" height="150" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/09/Supreme_Court_Front.jpg/423px-Supreme_Court_Front.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/0/09/Supreme_Court_Front.jpg/563px-Supreme_Court_Front.jpg 2x" data-file-width="750" data-file-height="600" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytextwrapper" style="width: 168px"><div class="gallerytext"> <p><i><a href="/History_of_the_Supreme_Court" title="History of the Supreme Court">History of the Supreme Court</a></i> </p> </div></div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 227.33333333333px"><div style="width: 227.33333333333px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 225.33333333333px;"><div style="margin:0px auto;"><a href="/File:SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg" class="image" title="Supreme Court of the United States"><img alt="Supreme Court of the United States" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/4e/SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg/338px-SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg" decoding="async" width="226" height="150" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/4e/SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg/507px-SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/4/4e/SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg/675px-SCOTUS_justices_2022.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1500" data-file-height="1000" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytextwrapper" style="width: 206px"><div class="gallerytext"> <p><i><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Supreme Court of the United States</a></i> </p> </div></div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 264.66666666667px"><div style="width: 264.66666666667px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 262.66666666667px;"><div style="margin:0px auto;"><a href="/File:Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg" class="image" title="Read about the last term"><img alt="Read about the last term" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/394px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg" decoding="async" width="263" height="150" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/592px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/25/Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg/788px-Inside_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4200" data-file-height="2400" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytextwrapper" style="width: 243px"><div class="gallerytext"> <p><i><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2023-2024" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024">Read about the last term</a></i> </p> </div></div> </div></li> </ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/Federal_judicial_appointments_by_president" title="Federal judicial appointments by president">Federal judicial appointments by president</a></li> <li><a href="/Article_III,_United_States_Constitution" title="Article III, United States Constitution">Article III, United States Constitution</a></li> <li><a href="/Landmark_cases_decided_by_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States">Landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></h2> <ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/">U.S. Supreme Court website</a></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Footnotes">Footnotes</span></h2> <p> <script type="text/javascript"> if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; </script> </p> <div class="references-small"><div class="mobile-columns"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E6DC1F3DF931A25753C1A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2"><i>The New York Times</i>, "On Language' Potus and Flotus," October 12, 1997</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-overview-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-overview_2-0">2.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-overview_2-1">2.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/briefoverview.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "A Brief Overview of the Supreme Court," accessed April 20, 2015</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Letter_to_President_January-27-2022.pdf"><i>United States Supreme Court</i>, "Letter to President," January 27, 2022</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujWPDn1tNvs&ab_channel=TheWhiteHouse"><i>YouTube</i>, "President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer," January 27, 2022</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/breyer-stephen-gerald"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Breyer, Stephen Gerald," accessed April 13, 2023</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-convote-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-convote_6-0">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/1783"><i>Congress.gov</i>, "PN1783 — Ketanji Brown Jackson — Supreme Court of the United States," accessed April 7, 2022</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-quotedisclaimer-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-0">7.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-1">7.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-2">7.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-3">7.3</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-4">7.4</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_7-5">7.5</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-8">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_02.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "The Judiciary Act of 1789: 'An Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States,'" accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-9">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_03.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "The Judiciary Act of 1801: 'An Act to provide for the more convenient organization of the Courts of the United States,'" accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-10">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_05.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Establishment of the Seventh Circuit: 'An Act establishing Circuit Courts, and abridging the jurisdiction of the district courts in the districts of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio,'" accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-11">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_06.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Landmark Judicial Legislation, Establishment of Eighth and Ninth Circuits," accessed February 23, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-12">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_08.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Landmark Judicial Legislation, Establishment of the Tenth Circuit," accessed February 23, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-13">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_09.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Landmark Judicial Legislation, Reorganization of the Judicial Circuits," accessed February 23, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-14">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_10.html"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "Landmark Judicial Legislation, The Judiciary Act of 1869," accessed February 23, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-15">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/faq.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)," accessed February 23, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-16">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://judiciallearningcenter.org/judicial-independence/"><i>Judicial Learning Center</i>, "Judicial Independence," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-17">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-compensation"><i>U.S.Courts.gov</i>, "Judicial Compensation," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-18">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/original_jurisdiction"><i>Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute</i>, "Original jurisdiction," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-19">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1251"><i>Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute</i>, "8 U.S. Code § 1251," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-20">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/appellate_jurisdiction"><i>Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute</i>, "Appellate jurisdiction," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-nbc-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-nbc_21-0">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6694744/ns/us_news-the_changing_court/t/guide-supreme-court-nomination/#.Vr-3epMrJTY"><i>NBC News</i>, "A guide to the Supreme Court nomination," accessed February 13, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-22">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.cqpress.com/incontext/SupremeCourt/the_selection.htm"><i>CQ Press</i>, "The Selection and Confirmation of Justices: Criteria and Process," accessed February 13, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-23">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/politics/politicsspecial1/presidents-picking-justices-can-have-backfires.html?_r=0"><i>New York Times</i>, "Presidents, Picking Justices, Can Have Backfires," July 5, 2005</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CRS1-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS1_24-0">24.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS1_24-1">24.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS1_24-2">24.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS1_24-3">24.3</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS1_24-4">24.4</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/50146.pdf"><i>CRS Report for Congress</i>, "Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate," July 6, 2005</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CRS2-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS2_25-0">25.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS2_25-1">25.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS2_25-2">25.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS2_25-3">25.3</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-CRS2_25-4">25.4</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31980.pdf"><i>CRS Report</i>, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," March 9, 2015</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-oath-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-oath_26-0">26.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-oath_26-1">26.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/oath/textoftheoathsofoffice2009.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "Text of the Oaths of Office for Supreme Court Justices," accessed February 27, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-27">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_11-13-23"><i>Supreme Court</i>, "Code of Conduct for Justices," November 13, 2023</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-28">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-announces-formal-ethics-code-justices-2023-11-13/"><i>Reuters</i>, "Under fire, US Supreme Court unveils ethics code for justices," November 14, 2023</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-29">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/circuitAssignments.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "Circuit Assignments," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-30">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2005/09/new-circuit-justice-assignments/"><i>SCOTUSblog</i>, "New Circuit Justice Assignments," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-31">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/22/if-trump-appoints-third-justice-supreme-court-would-be-most-conservative-its-been-since-19"><i>The Washington Post</i>, "If Trump appoints a third justice, the Supreme Court would be the most conservative it’s been since 1950," September 22, 2020</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-32">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/1962405?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents"><i>American Political Science Review</i>, "Ideological values and the votes of U.S. Supreme Court justices," June 1989</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-scotusdatabase-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-scotusdatabase_33-0">33.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-scotusdatabase_33-1">33.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://epstein.wustl.edu/research/justicesdata.html"><i>Washington University in St. Louis</i>, "The U.S. Supreme Court Justices Database," accessed April 19, 2021</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-34">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/courtbuilding.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "The Supreme Court Building," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-35">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/courtroomseating.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "Courtroom Seating," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-36">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/traditions.aspx"><i>SupremeCourt.gov</i>, "The Court and Its Traditions," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-37">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2016/02/court-without-scalia-reopens/"><i>SCOTUSblog</i>, "Court, without Scalia, reopens (UPDATED)," accessed February 22, 2016</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div></div> <table style="border:1px solid gray; font-size:85%;" class="collapsible collapsed" align="center" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:#ccccff;" height="50px"><table width="95%" bgcolor="#ccccff" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="75px" bgcolor="white"> <div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/File:Seal_of_SCOTUS.png" class="image"><img alt="Seal of SCOTUS.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9b/Seal_of_SCOTUS.png/50px-Seal_of_SCOTUS.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="50" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9b/Seal_of_SCOTUS.png/75px-Seal_of_SCOTUS.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/9/9b/Seal_of_SCOTUS.png/100px-Seal_of_SCOTUS.png 2x" data-file-width="360" data-file-height="360" /></a></div></div> </td><td style="background:#ccccff;" align="center"><div style="float:left; text-align:left; width:6em;"><div class="noprint plainlinksneverexpand" style="background-color:transparent; padding:0; white-space:nowrap; font-weight:normal; font-size:xx-small; ;"><a href="/Template:Justices_of_SCOTUS" title="Template:Justices of SCOTUS"><span title="View this template" style=";">v</span></a> <span style="font-size:80%;">•</span> <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Justices_of_SCOTUS&action=edit"><span style="color:#002bb8;;" title="You can edit this template. Please use the preview button before saving.">e</span></a></div></div><span style="font-size:150%; font-weight:bold;">Justices of the <a class="mw-selflink selflink">Supreme Court of the United States</a></span> </td></tr></tbody></table></th></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#ccccff; width:75px; vertical-align:middle;" align="center"><a href="/Federal_judge#Federal_judges,_Article_III" title="Federal judge">Active justices</a></td><td align="center"> <p><b><a href="/Chief_justice" class="mw-redirect" title="Chief justice">Chief justice</a>:</b> <a href="/John_G._Roberts" class="mw-redirect" title="John G. Roberts">Roberts</a><b><br /> </b> <b>Associate justices:</b> <a href="/Samuel_Alito" title="Samuel Alito">Alito</a> • <a href="/Amy_Coney_Barrett" title="Amy Coney Barrett">Barrett</a> • <a href="/Neil_Gorsuch" title="Neil Gorsuch">Gorsuch</a> • <a href="/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson" title="Ketanji Brown Jackson">Jackson</a> • <a href="/Elena_Kagan" title="Elena Kagan">Kagan</a> • <a href="/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh">Kavanaugh</a> • <a href="/Sonia_Sotomayor" title="Sonia Sotomayor">Sotomayor</a> • <a href="/Clarence_Thomas_(Supreme_Court)" title="Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)">Thomas</a> </p> </td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#ccccff; vertical-align:middle;" align="center"><a href="/Federal_judge#Senior_judges" title="Federal judge">Senior justices</a></td><td align="center" bgcolor="#eee"> <p><a href="/Stephen_Breyer" title="Stephen Breyer">Breyer</a> • <a href="/Anthony_Kennedy" title="Anthony Kennedy">Kennedy</a> • <a href="/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor" title="Sandra Day O'Connor">O'Connor</a> • <a href="/David_Souter" title="David Souter">Souter</a> </p> </td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#ccccff; vertical-align:middle;" align="center"><a href="/Chief_justice" class="mw-redirect" title="Chief justice">Former chief justices</a></td><td align="center"> <p><a href="/Warren_Burger" title="Warren Burger">Burger</a> • <a href="/Salmon_Portland_Chase" title="Salmon Portland Chase">Chase</a> • <a href="/Oliver_Ellsworth" title="Oliver Ellsworth">Ellsworth</a> • <a href="/Melville_Weston_Fuller" title="Melville Weston Fuller">Fuller</a> • <a href="/Charles_Evans_Hughes" title="Charles Evans Hughes">Hughes</a> • <a href="/John_Jay" title="John Jay">Jay</a> • <a href="/John_Marshall" title="John Marshall">Marshall</a> • <a href="/William_Rehnquist" title="William Rehnquist">Rehnquist</a> • <a href="/John_Rutledge" title="John Rutledge">Rutledge</a> • <a href="/Harlan_Fiske_Stone" title="Harlan Fiske Stone">Stone</a> • <a href="/William_Howard_Taft" title="William Howard Taft">Taft</a> • <a href="/Roger_Brooke_Taney" title="Roger Brooke Taney">Taney</a> • <a href="/Frederick_Vinson" title="Frederick Vinson">Vinson</a> • <a href="/Morrison_Waite" title="Morrison Waite">Waite</a> • <a href="/Earl_Warren" title="Earl Warren">Warren</a> • </p> <a href="/Edward_Douglass_White" title="Edward Douglass White">White</a></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#ccccff; vertical-align:middle;" align="center"><a href="/Associate_Justice" title="Associate Justice">Former associate justices</a></td><td align="center" bgcolor="#eee"> <p><a href="/Henry_Baldwin" title="Henry Baldwin">Baldwin</a> • <a href="/Philip_Pendelton_Barbour" title="Philip Pendelton Barbour">Barbour</a> • <a href="/Hugo_Black" title="Hugo Black">Black</a> • <a href="/Harry_Blackmun" title="Harry Blackmun">Blackmun</a> • <a href="/John_Blair" title="John Blair">Blair</a> • <a href="/Samuel_Blatchford" title="Samuel Blatchford">Blatchford</a> • <a href="/Joseph_Bradley" title="Joseph Bradley">Bradley</a> • <a href="/Louis_Dembitz_Brandeis" class="mw-redirect" title="Louis Dembitz Brandeis">Brandeis</a> • <a href="/William_Brennan_(U.S._Supreme_Court)" title="William Brennan (U.S. Supreme Court)">Brennan</a> • <a href="/David_Josiah_Brewer" class="mw-redirect" title="David Josiah Brewer">Brewer</a> • <a href="/Henry_Billings_Brown_(U.S._Supreme_Court)" title="Henry Billings Brown (U.S. Supreme Court)">Brown</a> • <a href="/Harold_Burton" title="Harold Burton">Burton</a> • <a href="/Pierce_Butler" title="Pierce Butler">Butler</a> • <a href="/James_Byrnes" title="James Byrnes">Byrnes</a> • <a href="/John_Archibald_Campbell" title="John Archibald Campbell">Campbell</a> • <a href="/Benjamin_Nathan_Cardozo" class="mw-redirect" title="Benjamin Nathan Cardozo">Cardozo</a> • <a href="/John_Catron" title="John Catron">Catron</a> • <a href="/Samuel_Chase" title="Samuel Chase">Chase</a> • <a href="/Tom_Clark" title="Tom Clark">Clark</a> • <a href="/John_Hessin_Clarke" title="John Hessin Clarke">Clarke</a> • <a href="/Nathan_Clifford" title="Nathan Clifford">Clifford</a> • <a href="/Benjamin_Robbins_Curtis" title="Benjamin Robbins Curtis">Curtis</a> • <a href="/William_Cushing" title="William Cushing">Cushing</a> • <a href="/Peter_Vivian_Daniel" title="Peter Vivian Daniel">Daniel</a> • <a href="/David_Davis" title="David Davis">Davis</a> • <a href="/William_Rufus_Day" title="William Rufus Day">Day</a> • <a href="/William_Douglas" title="William Douglas">Douglas</a> • <a href="/Gabriel_Duvall" title="Gabriel Duvall">Duvall</a> • <a href="/Stephen_Johnson_Field" title="Stephen Johnson Field">Field</a> • <a href="/Abe_Fortas" title="Abe Fortas">Fortas</a> • <a href="/Felix_Frankfurter" title="Felix Frankfurter">Frankfurter</a> • <a href="/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg" title="Ruth Bader Ginsburg">Ginsburg</a> • <a href="/Arthur_Goldberg" title="Arthur Goldberg">Goldberg</a> • <a href="/Horace_Gray" title="Horace Gray">Gray</a> • <a href="/Robert_Cooper_Grier" title="Robert Cooper Grier">Grier</a> • <a href="/John_Harlan_I" title="John Harlan I">Harlan I</a> • <a href="/John_Harlan_II" title="John Harlan II">Harlan II</a> • <a href="/Oliver_Wendell_Holmes" title="Oliver Wendell Holmes">Holmes</a> • <a href="/Ward_Hunt" title="Ward Hunt">Hunt</a> • <a href="/James_Iredell" title="James Iredell">Iredell</a> • <a href="/Howell_Edmunds_Jackson" title="Howell Edmunds Jackson">H. Jackson</a> • <a href="/Robert_Jackson" title="Robert Jackson">R. Jackson</a> • <a href="/Thomas_Johnson" title="Thomas Johnson">T. Johnson</a> • <a href="/William_Johnson,_Jr." title="William Johnson, Jr.">W. Johnson, Jr.</a> • <a href="/Joseph_Rucker_Lamar" title="Joseph Rucker Lamar">J. Lamar</a> • <a href="/Lucius_Quintus_Cincinnatus_Lamar" title="Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar">L. Lamar</a> • <a href="/Henry_Brockholst_Livingston" title="Henry Brockholst Livingston">Livingston</a> • <a href="/Horace_Harmon_Lurton" title="Horace Harmon Lurton">Lurton</a> • <a href="/Thurgood_Marshall" title="Thurgood Marshall">Marshall</a> • <a href="/Stanley_Matthews" title="Stanley Matthews">Matthews</a> • <a href="/Joseph_McKenna" title="Joseph McKenna">McKenna</a> • <a href="/John_McKinley" title="John McKinley">McKinley</a> • <a href="/John_McLean" title="John McLean">McLean</a> • <a href="/James_Clark_McReynolds" title="James Clark McReynolds">McReynolds</a> • <a href="/Samuel_Freeman_Miller" title="Samuel Freeman Miller">Miller</a> • <a href="/Sherman_Minton" title="Sherman Minton">Minton</a> • <a href="/William_Henry_Moody" title="William Henry Moody">Moody</a> • <a href="/Alfred_Moore" title="Alfred Moore">Moore</a> • <a href="/Frank_Murphy" title="Frank Murphy">Murphy</a> • <a href="/Samuel_Nelson" title="Samuel Nelson">Nelson</a> • <a href="/William_Paterson" title="William Paterson">Paterson</a> • <a href="/Rufus_Wheeler_Peckham" title="Rufus Wheeler Peckham">Peckham</a> • <a href="/Mahlon_Pitney" title="Mahlon Pitney">Pitney</a> • <a href="/Lewis_Powell" title="Lewis Powell">Powell</a> • <a href="/Stanley_Reed" title="Stanley Reed">Reed</a> • <a href="/Owen_Josephus_Roberts" class="mw-redirect" title="Owen Josephus Roberts">Roberts</a> • <a href="/Wiley_Rutledge" title="Wiley Rutledge">W. Rutledge</a> • <a href="/Edward_Terry_Sanford" title="Edward Terry Sanford">Sanford</a> • <a href="/Antonin_Scalia" title="Antonin Scalia">Scalia</a> • <a href="/George_Shiras" title="George Shiras">Shiras</a> • <a href="/John_Paul_Stevens" title="John Paul Stevens">Stevens</a> • <a href="/Potter_Stewart" title="Potter Stewart">Stewart</a> • <a href="/Joseph_Story" title="Joseph Story">Story</a> • <a href="/William_Strong" title="William Strong">Strong</a> • <a href="/George_Sutherland" title="George Sutherland">Sutherland</a> • <a href="/Noah_Haynes_Swayne" title="Noah Haynes Swayne">Swayne</a> • <a href="/Smith_Thompson" title="Smith Thompson">Thompson</a> • <a href="/Thomas_Todd" title="Thomas Todd">Todd</a> • <a href="/Robert_Trimble" title="Robert Trimble">Trimble</a> • <a href="/Willis_Van_Devanter" title="Willis Van Devanter">Van Devanter</a> • <a href="/Bushrod_Washington" title="Bushrod Washington">Washington</a> • <a href="/James_Moore_Wayne" title="James Moore Wayne">Wayne</a> • <a href="/Byron_White" title="Byron White">B. White</a> • <a href="/Charles_Whittaker" title="Charles Whittaker">Whittaker</a> • <a href="/James_Wilson" title="James Wilson">Wilson</a> • <a href="/Levi_Woodbury" title="Levi Woodbury">Woodbury</a> • <a href="/William_Burnham_Woods" title="William Burnham Woods">Woods</a> </p> </td></tr></tbody></table>   </div></div> <div class="printfooter"> Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States&oldid=9950651">https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States&oldid=9950651</a>" </div> <div id="catlinks-container" style="display:none"><div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/Category:United_States_Supreme_Court" title="Category:United States Supreme Court">United States Supreme Court</a></li><li><a href="/Category:Types_of_federal_courts" title="Category:Types of federal courts">Types of federal courts</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Federal_courts&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Category:Federal courts (page does not exist)">Federal courts</a></li></ul></div></div></div> <div class="visualClear"></div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1548351407491-0'> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548351407491-0'); }); </script> </div> <div id="div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3054" class="publirAds"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == "div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3054") { googletag.display("div-hre-Ballotpedia---New-3054"); } }); }); </script> </div> <div class="visualClear"></div> <div class="row" id="footer-links"> <div style="text-align:center; font-size:16px; color:#666; width: 100%;"> <p>Ballotpedia features 556,134 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. 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