Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

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An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869. [1]

Contents

Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States grants plenary power to the president to nominate, and with the advice and consent (confirmation) of the Senate, appoint justices to the Supreme Court. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution effectively grants life tenure to associate justices, and all other federal judges, which ends only when a justice dies, retires, resigns, or is impeached and convicted. [2]

Each Supreme Court justice has a single vote in deciding the cases argued before it, and the chief justice's vote counts no more than that of any other justice; however, the chief justice leads the discussion of the case among the justices. Furthermore, the chief justice—when in the majority—decides who writes the court's opinion; otherwise, the senior justice in the majority assigns the writing of a decision. The chief justice also has certain administrative responsibilities that the other justices do not and is paid slightly more ($298,500 per year as of 2023, compared to $285,400 per year for an associate justice). [3]

Associate justices have seniority in order of the date their respective commissions bear, although the chief justice is always considered to be the most senior justice. If two justices are commissioned on the same day, the elder is designated the senior justice of the two. Currently, the senior associate justice is Clarence Thomas. By tradition, when the justices are in conference deliberating the outcome of cases before the Supreme Court, the justices state their views in order of seniority. The senior associate justice is also tasked with carrying out the chief justice's duties when he is unable to, or if that office is vacant.

Current associate justices

There are currently eight associate justices on the Supreme Court. The justices, ordered by seniority, are:

Retired associate justices

An associate justice who leaves the Supreme Court after attaining the age and meeting the service requirements prescribed by federal statute (28 U.S.C.   § 371) may retire rather than resign. After retirement, they keep their title, and by custom may also keep a set of chambers in the Supreme Court building, and employ law clerks. The names of retired associate justices continue to appear alongside those of the active justices in the bound volumes of Supreme Court decisions. Federal statute (28 U.S.C.   § 294) provides that retired Supreme Court justices may serve—if designated and assigned by the chief justice—on panels of the U.S. courts of appeals, or on the U.S. district courts. Retired justices are not, however, authorized to take part in the consideration or decision of any cases before the Supreme Court (unlike other retired federal judges who may be permitted to do so in their former courts); neither are they known or designated as a "senior judge". When, after his retirement, William O. Douglas attempted to take a more active role than was customary, maintaining that it was his prerogative to do so because of his senior status, he was rebuffed by Chief Justice Warren Burger and admonished by the whole Court. [12]

There are currently three living retired associate justices: David Souter, retired June 29, 2009; Anthony Kennedy, retired July 31, 2018; and Stephen Breyer, retired June 30, 2022. Souter has served on panels of the First Circuit Courts of Appeals following his retirement; Kennedy and Breyer have not performed any judicial duties since retiring.

List of associate justices

Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, the following 104 persons have served as an associate justice: [13] [14]

Associate justiceSeatReplacingDate confirmed
(Vote)
Tenure [lower-alpha 1] Appointed byPrior position [lower-alpha 2]
1 John Rutledge color painting.jpg John Rutledge 1st(new seat)September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 15, 1790

March 4, 1791
(Resigned) [lower-alpha 3]
George Washington 31st
governor of South Carolina
(1779–1782)
2 WilliamCushing.jpg William Cushing [lower-alpha 4] 2nd(new seat)September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 2, 1790

September 13, 1810
(Died)
Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Superior Court
(1777–1789)
3 JusticeJamesWilson.jpg James Wilson 3rd(new seat)September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
October 5, 1789

August 21, 1798
(Died)
Delegate to the
Constitutional Convention
(1787)
4 John Blair (page 82 crop).jpg John Blair 4th(new seat)September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 2, 1790

October 25, 1795
(Resigned)
Member of the
Virginia House of Burgesses
(1766–1770)
5 JamesIredell.jpg James Iredell 5th(new seat)February 10, 1790
(Acclamation)
May 12, 1790

October 20, 1799
(Died)
2nd
attorney general of North Carolina
(1779–1782)
6 Thomas Johnson (governor).jpeg Thomas Johnson 1stJ. RutledgeNovember 7, 1791
(Acclamation)
September 19, 1791 [lower-alpha 5]

January 16, 1793
(Resigned)
1st
governor of Maryland
(1777–1779)
7 William Paterson copy.jpg William Paterson T. JohnsonMarch 4, 1793
(Acclamation)
March 11, 1793

September 8, 1806
(Died)
2nd
governor of New Jersey
(1790–1793)
8 Samuel Chase.jpg Samuel Chase [lower-alpha 6] 4thBlairJanuary 27, 1796
(Acclamation)
February 4, 1796

June 19, 1811
(Died)
Chief Justice of the
Maryland General Court
(1791–1796)
9 BushrodWashington.jpg Bushrod Washington 3rdWilsonDecember 20, 1798
(Acclamation)
November 9, 1798 [lower-alpha 5]

November 26, 1829
(Died)
John Adams Delegate to the
Virginia Ratifying Convention
(1788)
10 AlfredMoore.jpg Alfred Moore 5thIredellDecember 9, 1799
(Acclamation)
April 21, 1800

January 26, 1804
(Resigned)
3rd
attorney general of North Carolina
(1782–1791)
11 WilliamJohnson.jpg William Johnson 5thMooreMarch 24, 1804
(Acclamation)
May 7, 1804

August 4, 1834
(Died)
Thomas Jefferson Speaker of the
South Carolina House of Representatives
(1798–1800)
12 Henry Brockholst Livingston.jpg Henry Brockholst Livingston 1stPatersonDecember 17, 1806
(Acclamation)
January 20, 1807 [lower-alpha 5]

March 18, 1823
(Died)
Justice of the
New York Supreme Court
(1802–1807)
13 Thomas Todd SCOTUS.jpg Thomas Todd 6th(new seat)March 2, 1807
(Acclamation)
March 4, 1807

February 7, 1826
(Died)
Chief Justice of the
Kentucky Court of Appeals
(1806–1807)
14 GabrielDuvall.jpg Gabriel Duvall 4thChaseNovember 18, 1811
(Acclamation)
November 23, 1811

January 12, 1835
(Resigned)
James Madison U.S. representative for
Maryland's 2nd district
(1794–1796)
15 Daguerreotype of Joseph Story, 1844 (edit).jpg Joseph Story 2ndCushingNovember 18, 1811
(Acclamation)
February 3, 1812

September 10, 1845
(Died)
U.S. representative for
Massachusetts's 2nd district
(1808–1809)
16 SmithThompson.jpg Smith Thompson 1stLivingstonDecember 9, 1823
(Acclamation)
September 1, 1823 [lower-alpha 5]

December 18, 1843
(Died)
James Monroe 6th
United States secretary of the Navy
(1819–1823)
17 RobertTrimble.jpg Robert Trimble 6thToddMay 9, 1826
(25–5)
June 16, 1826

August 25, 1828
(Died)
John Quincy Adams Judge of the
United States District Court
for the District of Kentucky

(1817–1826)
18 Justice John McLean daguerreotype by Mathew Brady 1849.jpg John McLean TrimbleMarch 7, 1829
(Acclamation)
March 12, 1829

April 4, 1861
(Died)
Andrew Jackson 6th
United States postmaster general
(1823–1829)
19 Henry baldwin (justice).jpg Henry Baldwin 3rdWashingtonJanuary 6, 1830
(41–2)
January 18, 1830

April 21, 1844
(Died)
U.S. representative for
Pennsylvania's 14th district
(1817–1822)
20 James Moore Wayne - Brady-Handy.jpg James Moore Wayne 5thW. JohnsonJanuary 9, 1835
(Acclamation)
January 14, 1835

July 5, 1867
(Died)(Seat abolished)
U.S. representative for
Georgia's at-large district
(1829–1835)
21 PPBarbour.jpg Philip P. Barbour 4thDuvallMarch 15, 1836
(30–11)
May 12, 1836

February 25, 1841
(Died)
Judge of the
United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Virginia

(1830–1836)
22 John Catron - Brady-Handy.jpg John Catron 7th(new seat)March 8, 1837
(28–15)
May 1, 1837

May 30, 1865
(Died)(Seat abolished)
Judge of the
Tennessee Supreme Court
of Errors and Appeals

(1824–1834)
23 John McKinley.jpg John McKinley 8th(new seat)September 25, 1837
(Acclamation)
January 9, 1838 [lower-alpha 5]

July 19, 1852
(Died)
Martin Van Buren United States senator
from Alabama
(1826–1831, 1837)
24 Peter Vivian Daniel, US Supreme Court Justice, c1860 (cropped).jpg Peter Vivian Daniel 4thBarbourMarch 2, 1841
(25–5)
January 10, 1842

May 31, 1860
(Died)
Judge of the
United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Virginia

(1836–1841)
25 Samuel Nelson - Brady-Handy.jpg Samuel Nelson 1stThompsonFebruary 14, 1845
(Acclamation)
February 27, 1845

November 28, 1872
(Retired)
John Tyler Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court
(1831–1845)
26 Levi Woodbury.jpg Levi Woodbury 2ndStoryJanuary 31, 1846
(Acclamation)
September 23, 1845 [lower-alpha 5]

September 4, 1851
(Died)
James K. Polk 13th
United States secretary of the treasury
(1834–1841)
27 Robert Cooper Grier - Brady-Handy.jpg Robert Cooper Grier 3rdBaldwinAugust 4, 1846
(Acclamation)
August 10, 1846

January 31, 1870
(Retired)
Judge for the
Pennsylvania state District Court
for Allegheny County
(1833–1846)
28 Benjamin Robbins Curtis - photo.png Benjamin Robbins Curtis 2ndWoodburyDecember 20, 1851
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1851 [lower-alpha 5]

September 30, 1857
(Resigned)
Millard Fillmore Massachusetts state representative
29 John Archibald Campbell - Brady-Handy.jpg John Archibald Campbell 8thMcKinleyMarch 22, 1853
(Acclamation)
April 11, 1853

April 30, 1861
(Resigned)
Franklin Pierce Alabama state representative
30 NClifford.jpg Nathan Clifford 2ndCurtisJanuary 12, 1858
(26–23)
January 21, 1858

July 25, 1881
(Died)
James Buchanan 19th
United States attorney general
(1846–1848)
31 Noah Haynes Swayne, photo, head and shoulders, seated.jpg Noah Haynes Swayne 6thMcLeanJanuary 24, 1862
(38–1)
January 27, 1862

January 24, 1881
(Retired)
Abraham Lincoln U.S. attorney for the
District of Ohio
(1830–1834)
32 Samuel Freeman Miller - Brady-Handy.jpg Samuel Freeman Miller 4thDanielJuly 16, 1862
(Acclamation)
July 21, 1862

October 13, 1890
(Died)
Lawyer,
Private practice
33 DDavis.jpg David Davis 8thCampbellDecember 8, 1862
(Acclamation)
December 10, 1862 [lower-alpha 5]

March 3, 1877
(Resigned)
Judge of the
Illinois 3rd Circuit Court
(1848–1862)
34 Stephen Johnson Field, photo half length seated, 1875.jpg Stephen Johnson Field 9th(new seat)March 10, 1863
(Acclamation)
May 20, 1863

December 1, 1897
(Retired)
5th
chief justice of California
(1859–1863)
35 William Strong judge - Brady-Handy.jpg William Strong 3rdGrierFebruary 18, 1870
(Acclamation)
March 14, 1870

December 14, 1880
(Retired)
Ulysses S. Grant U.S. representative for
Pennsylvania's 9th district
(1847–1851)
36 Joseph Philo Bradley - Brady-Handy.jpg Joseph P. Bradley 10th(new seat)March 21, 1870
(46–9)
March 23, 1870

January 22, 1892
(Died)
Lawyer,
Private practice
37 Ward Hunt - Brady-Handy.jpg Ward Hunt 1stNelsonDecember 11, 1872
(Acclamation)
January 9, 1873

January 27, 1882
(Retired)
Chief Judge of the
New York Court of Appeals
(1868–1872)
38 JudgeJMHarlan.jpg John Marshall Harlan 8thDavisDecember 10, 1877
(Acclamation)
November 29, 1877

October 14, 1911
(Died)
Rutherford B. Hayes 14th
attorney general of Kentucky
(1863–1867)
39 William Burnham Woods.jpg William Burnham Woods 3rdStrongDecember 21, 1880
(39–8)
January 5, 1881

May 14, 1887
(Died)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit

(1869–1880)
40 Thomas Stanley Matthews - Brady-Handy.jpg Stanley Matthews 6thSwayneMay 12, 1881
(24–23)
May 17, 1881

March 22, 1889
(Died)
James A. Garfield United States senator
from Ohio
(1877–1879)
41 Horacegrayphoto.jpg Horace Gray 2ndCliffordDecember 20, 1881
(51–5)
January 9, 1882

September 15, 1902
(Died)
Chester A. Arthur Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
(1873–1881)
42 Samuel Blatchford.jpg Samuel Blatchford 1stHuntMarch 22, 1882
(Acclamation)
April 3, 1882

July 7, 1893
(Died)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit

(1878–1882)
43 Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II - Brady-Handy.jpg Lucius Quintus
Cincinnatus Lamar II
3rdWoodsJanuary 16, 1888
(32–28)
January 18, 1888

January 23, 1893
(Died)
Grover Cleveland 16th
United States secretary of the interior
(1885–1888)
44 DavidBrewer.jpg David Josiah Brewer 6thMatthewsDecember 18, 1889
(53–11)
January 6, 1890

March 28, 1910
(Died)
Benjamin Harrison Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit

(1884–1889)
45 Henry Billings Brown 2.jpg Henry Billings Brown 4thMillerDecember 29, 1890
(Acclamation)
January 5, 1891

May 28, 1906
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Michigan

(1875–1890)
46 George Shiras Jr.jpg George Shiras Jr. 10thBradleyJuly 26, 1892
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1892

February 23, 1903
(Retired)
Lawyer,
Private practice
47 Justice Howell Jackson2.jpg Howell Edmunds Jackson 3rdL. LamarFebruary 18, 1893
(Acclamation)
March 4, 1893

August 8, 1895
(Died)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit

(1891–1893)
48 Edward White, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, 1905.jpg Edward Douglass White 1stBlatchfordFebruary 19, 1894
(Acclamation)
March 12, 1894

December 18, 1910
(Continued as chief justice) [lower-alpha 7]
Grover Cleveland United States senator
from Louisiana
(1891–1894)
49 Rufus Wheeler Peckham cph.3b30513.jpg Rufus W. Peckham 3rdH. JacksonDecember 9, 1895
(Acclamation)
January 6, 1896

October 24, 1909
(Died)
Associate Judge of the
New York Court of Appeals
50 Joseph McKenna (assoc justice).jpg Joseph McKenna 9thFieldJanuary 21, 1898
(Acclamation)
January 26, 1898

January 5, 1925
(Retired)
William McKinley 42nd
United States attorney general
(1897–1898)
51 Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1902.jpg Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. 2ndGrayDecember 4, 1902
(Acclamation)
December 8, 1902

January 12, 1932
(Retired)
Theodore Roosevelt Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
(1899–1902)
52 William Rufus Day cph.3b31004.jpg William R. Day 10thShirasFebruary 23, 1903
(Acclamation)
March 2, 1903

November 13, 1922
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit

(1899–1903)
53 WHMoody.jpg William Henry Moody 4thBrownDecember 12, 1906
(Acclamation)
December 17, 1906

November 20, 1910
(Retired)
45th
United States attorney general
(1904–1906)
54 HoraceHarmonLurton.jpg Horace Harmon Lurton 3rdPeckhamDecember 20, 1909
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1910

July 12, 1914
(Died)
William Howard Taft Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit

(1893–1909)
55 Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes.jpg Charles Evans Hughes 6thBrewerMay 2, 1910
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1910

June 10, 1916
(Resigned) [lower-alpha 8]
36th
governor of New York
(1907–1910)
56 Willis Van Devanter.jpg Willis Van Devanter 1stE. WhiteDecember 15, 1910
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1911

June 2, 1937
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit

(1903–1910)
57 Joseph Lamar.jpg Joseph Rucker Lamar 4thMoodyDecember 15, 1910
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1911

January 2, 1916
(Died)
Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of Georgia
(1901–1905)
58 Mahlon Pitney cph.3b30300.jpg Mahlon Pitney 8thJ. Harlan IMarch 13, 1912
(50–26)
March 18, 1912

December 31, 1922
(Resigned)
U.S. representative for
New Jersey's 4th district
(1895–1899)
59 Jamescmcreynolds.jpg James Clark McReynolds 3rdLurtonAugust 29, 1914
(44–6)
October 12, 1914

January 31, 1941
(Retired)
Woodrow Wilson 48th
United States attorney general
(1913–1914)
60 Brandeisl.jpg Louis Brandeis 4thJ. LamarJune 1, 1916
(47–22)
June 5, 1916

February 13, 1939
(Retired)
Lawyer,
Private practice:
Brandeis Dunbar & Nutter [15]
61 JohnHessinClarke.jpg John Hessin Clarke 6thHughesJuly 24, 1916
(Acclamation)
October 9, 1916

September 5, 1922
(Resigned)
Judge of the
United States District Court
for the Northern District of Ohio

(1914–1916)
62 Justice George Sutherland 5.jpg George Sutherland ClarkeSeptember 5, 1922
(Acclamation)
October 2, 1922

January 17, 1938
(Retired)
Warren G. Harding United States senator
from Utah
(1905–1917)
63 Pierce Butler.jpg Pierce Butler 10thDayDecember 21, 1922
(61–8)
January 2, 1923

November 16, 1939
(Died)
President of the
Minnesota State Bar Association
64 Justice Edward Terry Sanford.jpg Edward Terry Sanford 8thPitneyJanuary 29, 1923
(Acclamation)
February 19, 1923

March 8, 1930
(Died)
Judge of the
United States District Court
for the Middle District of Tennessee

(1908–1923)
65 Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone photograph circa 1927-1932.jpg Harlan F. Stone 9thMcKennaFebruary 5, 1925
(71–6)
March 2, 1925

July 3, 1941
(Continued as chief justice) [lower-alpha 9]
Calvin Coolidge 52nd
United States attorney general
(1924–1925)
66 Owen J. Roberts cph.3b11988.jpg Owen Roberts 8thSanfordMay 20, 1930
(Acclamation)
June 2, 1930

July 31, 1945
(Resigned)
Herbert Hoover Assistant District Attorney for Philadelphia
67 Justice Benjamin N Cardozo 2.jpg Benjamin N. Cardozo 2ndHolmesFebruary 24, 1932
(Acclamation)
March 14, 1932

July 9, 1938
(Died)
Chief Judge of the
New York Court of Appeals
(1927–1932)
68 HugoLaFayetteBlack.jpg Hugo Black 1stVan DevanterAugust 17, 1937
(63–16)
August 19, 1937

September 17, 1971
(Retired)
Franklin D. Roosevelt United States senator
from Alabama
(1927–1937)
69 Stanley Forman Reed.jpg Stanley Forman Reed 6thSutherlandJanuary 25, 1938
(Acclamation)
January 31, 1938

February 25, 1957
(Retired)
22nd
United States solicitor general
(1935–1938)
70 Frankfurter-Felix-LOC.jpg Felix Frankfurter 2ndCardozoJanuary 17, 1939
(Acclamation)
January 30, 1939

August 28, 1962
(Retired)
Chairman of Harvard Law School
71 Justice William O Douglas.jpg William O. Douglas 4thBrandeisApril 4, 1939
(62–4)
April 17, 1939

November 12, 1975
(Retired)
3rd
chairman of the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(1937–1939)
72 Justice Frank Murphy.jpg Frank Murphy 10thButlerJanuary 16, 1940
(Acclamation)
February 5, 1940

July 19, 1949
(Died)
56th
United States attorney general
(1939–1940)
73 James F. Byrnes cph.3c32232.jpg James F. Byrnes 3rdMcReynoldsJune 12, 1941
(Acclamation)
July 8, 1941

October 3, 1942
(Resigned)
United States senator
from South Carolina
(1931–1941)
74 Roberthjackson.jpg Robert H. Jackson 9thStoneJuly 7, 1941
(Acclamation)
July 11, 1941

October 9, 1954
(Died)
57th
United States attorney general
(1940–1941)
75 Wiley Rutledge.jpg Wiley Blount Rutledge 3rdByrnesFebruary 8, 1943
(Acclamation)
February 15, 1943

September 10, 1949
(Died)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(1939–1943)
76 Harold Burton.jpg Harold Hitz Burton 8thRobertsSeptember 19, 1945
(Acclamation)
October 1, 1945

October 13, 1958
(Retired)
Harry S. Truman United States senator
from Ohio
(1941–1945)
77 Official portrait of Associate Justice Tom C. Clark, Supreme Court of the United States (cropped).jpg Tom C. Clark 10thMurphyAugust 18, 1949
(73–8)
August 24, 1949

June 12, 1967
(Retired)
59th
United States attorney general
(1945–1949)
78 Sherman Minton's official United States Supreme Court photograph.jpg Sherman Minton 3rdW. RutledgeOctober 12, 1949
(48–16)
October 12, 1949

October 15, 1956
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit

(1941–1949)
79 John Marshall Harlan II official.jpg John Marshall Harlan 9thR. JacksonMarch 16, 1955
(71–11)
March 28, 1955

September 23, 1971
(Retired)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit

(1954–1955)
80 US Supreme Court Justice William Brennan - 1976 official portrait.jpg William J. Brennan Jr. 3rdMintonMarch 19, 1957
(Acclamation)
October 15, 1956 [lower-alpha 5]

July 20, 1990
(Retired)
Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of New Jersey
(1951–1956)
81 Charles Whittaker.jpg Charles Evans Whittaker 6thReedMarch 19, 1957
(Acclamation)
March 25, 1957

March 31, 1962
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit

(1956–1957)
82 US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart - 1976 official portrait.jpg Potter Stewart 8thBurtonMay 5, 1959
(70–17)
October 14, 1958 [lower-alpha 5]

July 3, 1981
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit

(1954–1958)
83 Justice White Official.jpg Byron White 6thWhittakerApril 11, 1962
(Acclamation)
April 16, 1962

June 28, 1993
(Retired)
John F. Kennedy 4th
United States deputy attorney general
(1961–1962)
84 Arthur Goldberg (1971).jpg Arthur Goldberg 2ndFrankfurterSeptember 25, 1962
(Acclamation)
October 1, 1962

July 26, 1965
(Resigned)
9th
United States secretary of labor
(1961–1962)
85 SCOTUS Justice Abe Fortas.jpeg Abe Fortas GoldbergAugust 11, 1965
(Acclamation)
October 4, 1965

May 14, 1969
(Resigned)
Lyndon B. Johnson United States under secretary of the interior
86 Thurgood-marshall-2.jpg Thurgood Marshall 10thClarkAugust 30, 1967
(69–11)
October 2, 1967

October 1, 1991
(Retired)
32nd
solicitor general of the United States
(1965–1967)
87 Justice Blackmun Official.jpg Harry Blackmun 2ndFortasMay 12, 1970
(94–0)
June 9, 1970

August 3, 1994
(Retired)
Richard Nixon Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit

(1959–1970)
88 US Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell - 1976 official portrait.jpg Lewis F. Powell Jr. 1stBlackDecember 6, 1971
(89–1)
January 7, 1972

June 26, 1987
(Retired)
President of the
American Bar Association
(1964–1965)
89 William Rehnquist.jpg William Rehnquist 9thJ. Harlan IIDecember 10, 1971
(68–26)
January 7, 1972

September 26, 1986
(Continued as chief justice) [lower-alpha 10]
United States assistant attorney general
for the Office of Legal Counsel
(1969–1971)
90 John Paul Stevens, SCOTUS photo portrait.jpg John Paul Stevens 4thDouglasDecember 17, 1975
(98–0)
December 19, 1975

June 29, 2010
(Retired)
Gerald Ford Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit

(1970–1975)
91 Sandra Day O'Connor.jpg Sandra Day O'Connor 8thStewartSeptember 21, 1981
(99–0)
September 25, 1981

January 31, 2006
(Retired)
Ronald Reagan Judge of the
Arizona Court of Appeals
(1979–1981)
92 Antonin Scalia Official SCOTUS Portrait crop.jpg Antonin Scalia 9thRehnquistSeptember 17, 1986
(98–0)
September 26, 1986

February 13, 2016
(Died)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(1982–1986)
93 Anthony Kennedy official SCOTUS portrait.jpg Anthony Kennedy 1stPowellFebruary 3, 1988
(97–0)
February 18, 1988

July 31, 2018
(Retired)
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Ninth Circuit

(1975–1988)
94 DavidSouter.jpg David Souter 3rdBrennanOctober 2, 1990
(90–9)
October 9, 1990

June 29, 2009
(Retired)
George H. W. Bush Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the First Circuit

(1990)
95 Clarence Thomas official SCOTUS portrait.jpg Clarence Thomas 10thMarshallOctober 15, 1991
(52–48)
October 23, 1991

Incumbent
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(1990–1991)
96 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 2016 portrait.jpg Ruth Bader Ginsburg 6thB. WhiteAugust 3, 1993
(96–3)
August 10, 1993

September 18, 2020
(Died)
Bill Clinton Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(1980–1993)
97 Stephen Breyer, SCOTUS photo portrait.jpg Stephen Breyer 2ndBlackmunJuly 29, 1994
(87–9)
August 3, 1994

June 30, 2022
(Retired)
Chief Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the First Circuit

(1990–1994)
98 010 alito.jpg Samuel Alito 8thO'ConnorJanuary 31, 2006
(58–42)
January 31, 2006

Incumbent
George W. Bush Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit

(1990–2006)
99 Sonia Sotomayor in SCOTUS robe.jpg Sonia Sotomayor 3rdSouterAugust 6, 2009
(68–31)
August 8, 2009

Incumbent
Barack Obama Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit

(1998–2009)
100 Elena Kagan Official SCOTUS Portrait (2013).jpg Elena Kagan 4thStevensAugust 5, 2010
(63–37)
August 7, 2010

Incumbent
45th
solicitor general of the United States
(2009–2010)
101 Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch Official Portrait.jpg Neil Gorsuch 9thScaliaApril 7, 2017
(54–45)
April 10, 2017

Incumbent
Donald Trump Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Tenth Circuit

(2006–2017)
102 Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh Official Portrait (full length).jpg Brett Kavanaugh 1stKennedyOctober 6, 2018
(50–48)
October 6, 2018

Incumbent
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(2006–2018)
103 Amy Coney Barrett official portrait.jpg Amy Coney Barrett 6thGinsburgOctober 26, 2020
(52–48)
October 27, 2020

Incumbent
Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit

(2017–2020)
104 KBJackson.jpg Ketanji Brown Jackson 2ndBreyerApril 7, 2022
(53–47)
June 30, 2022

Incumbent
Joe Biden Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit

(2021–2022)

Notes

  1. The start date given here for each associate justice is the day they took the oath of office, and the end date is the day of the justice's death, resignation, or retirement.
  2. Listed here (unless otherwise noted) is the position—either with a U.S. state or the federal government, or with a private corporation—held by the individual immediately prior to becoming an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  3. Later served as chief justice, June 30, 1795 – December 28, 1795.
  4. Was confirmed as chief justice on January 26, 1796, but declined and continued to serve as an associate justice.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Recess appointment. Note: the date on which the justice took the judicial oath is here used as the date of the beginning of their service, not the date of the recess appointment.
  6. Was impeached, but not convicted, and remained in office.
  7. Served as chief justice, December 19, 1910 – May 19, 1921.
  8. Later served as chief justice, February 24, 1930 – June 30, 1941.
  9. Served as chief justice, July 3, 1941 – April 22, 1946.
  10. Served as chief justice, September 26, 1986 – September 3, 2005.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Cushing</span> US Supreme Court justice from 1790 to 1810

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlan F. Stone</span> Chief justice of the United States from 1941 to 1946

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit</span> Current United States federal appellate court

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary Act of 1789</span> United States law establishing the federal court system

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Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is an American lawyer and jurist who is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office that same year. She is the first black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court. From 2021 to 2022, Jackson was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nomination and confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States</span> Political process

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References

  1. Hall, Kermit L. (2005). "Judiciary Act of 1869". In Hall, Kermit L.; Ely, James W.; Grossman, Joel B. (eds.). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. Oxford University Press. p. 548. ISBN   9780195176612. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  2. McMillion, Barry J.; Rutkus, Denis Steven (July 6, 2018). "Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 to 2017: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  3. "Judicial Compensation". United States Courts. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  4. "Justice Clarence Thomas". Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  5. "Justice Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr". Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  6. "Justice Sonia Sotomayor". Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  7. "Justice Elena Kagan". Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  8. "Justice Neil M. Gorsuch". Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  9. Fram, Alan; Mascaro, Lisa; Daly, Matthew (October 6, 2018). "Kavanaugh sworn to high court after rancorous confirmation". ap.org. New York, New York. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  10. Barbara Sprunt (October 26, 2020). "Amy Coney Barrett Confirmed To Supreme Court, Takes Constitutional Oath". NPR. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  11. "WATCH LIVE: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first Black woman on Supreme Court". PBS NewsHour. June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  12. Woodward, Robert; Armstrong, Scott (1979). The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court . New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 480–488, 526. ISBN   978-0-7432-7402-9.
  13. "Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present)". washington, D.C.: United States Senate. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  14. "Justices 1789 to Present". Washington, D.C.: Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  15. Klebanow, Diana & Jonas, Franklin L. (2003). People's Lawyers: Crusaders for Justice in American History. M. E. Sharpe. p. 61. ISBN   978-0765606730 via Google Books.

Further reading