List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Last updated March 13, 2024

The following is a list of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court which are broken down by pre- and post-statehood appointments. Historically, only three individuals have declined appointment to the Court which all occurred during the Provincial Congress period: William Reed in 1775, Robert Treat Paine in 1776, and James Warren in 1777. In the modern era, mandatory retirement has been a requirement when a given justice reaches the age of 70. This has been in place since 1976 when Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro stepped down.

Current justices

Title	Name	Began active service	Appointed by	Reaches age 70
Chief Justice	Kimberly S. Budd	2020	Charlie Baker	2036
Associate Justice	Frank Gaziano	2016		2034
Associate Justice	Scott L. Kafker	2017		2029
Associate Justice	Dalila Argaez Wendlandt	2020		2038
Associate Justice	Serge Georges Jr.	2020		2038
Associate Justice	Bessie Dewar	2024	Maura Healey	2050
Associate Justice	Gabrielle Wolohojian	Designate	Maura Healey	2030

Superior Court of Judicature (1692–1780)

Appointed by Provincial Congress^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Chief Justices

Justice		Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
1	William Stoughton (1631–1701)	Inaugural^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1692 – July 7, 1701 (Died)	Sir William Phips
2	Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	W. Stoughton	1701 – 1701 (Resigned)	Governor's Council
3	Isaac Addington (1645–1719)	W. Winthrop	1702 – 1703 (Resigned)	Joseph Dudley
4	Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	I. Addington	1708 – November 7, 1717 (Died)	Joseph Dudley
5	Samuel Sewall (1652–1730)	W. Winthrop	1718 – 1728 (Resigned)	Samuel Shute
6	Benjamin Lynde Sr. (1666–1749)	Sa. Sewall	1729 – January 28, 1745 (Died)	William Burnet
7	Paul Dudley (1666–1751)	B. Lynde Sr.	1745 – January 25, 1751 (Died)	William Shirley
8	Stephen Sewall (1702–1760)	P. Dudley	1751 – September 10, 1760 (Died)	William Shirley
9	Thomas Hutchinson (1711–1780)	St. Sewall	1761 – 1769 (Became Acting Governor)	Francis Bernard
10	Benjamin Lynde Jr. (1700–1781)	T. Hutchinson	1769 – 1771 (Resigned)	Thomas Hutchinson
11	Peter Oliver (1713–1791)	B. Lynde Jr.	1772 – 1775 (Removed from office)	Thomas Hutchinson
12	John Adams (1735–1826)	Inaugural	1775 – 1776 (Never presided, resigned)	Provincial Congress
13	William Cushing (1732–1810)	J. Adams	1777 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)	Provincial Congress

Associate Justices

Justice		Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
1	Thomas Danforth (bapt. 1623–1699)	Inaugural^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1692 – November 5, 1699 (Died)	Sir William Phips
2	Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	Inaugural^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1692 – 1701 (Continued as Chief Justice)
3	John Richards (bef. 1630–1694)	Inaugural^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1692 – April 2, 1694 (Died)
4	Samuel Sewall (1652–1730)	Inaugural^{[lower-alpha 2]}	1692 – 1718 (Continued as Chief Justice)
5	Elisha Cooke Sr. (1637–1715)	J. Richards	1695 – 1702 (Resigned)	William Stoughton
6	John Walley (d. 1712)	T. Danforth	1700 – 1712 (Died)	William Stoughton
7	John Saffin (bapt. 1626–1710)	W. Winthrop	1701 – 1702 (Appointment not renewed)	Governor's Council
8	John Hathorne (1641–1717)	E. Cooke	1702 – 1712 (Resigned)	Joseph Dudley
9	John Leverett (1662–1724)	J. Saffin	1702 – 1708 (Resigned)
10	Jonathan Corwin (1640–1718)	J. Leverett	1708 – 1717 (Appointment not renewed)
11	Benjamin Lynde Sr. (1666–1749)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 3]}	1712 – 1729 (Continued as Chief Justice)
12	Nathaniel Thomas (1643–1718)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 3]}	1712 – October 22, 1718 (Died)
13	Addington Davenport (1670–1736)	J. Corwin	December 9, 1715 – April 3, 1736 (Died)	William Tailer
14	Edmund Quincy III (1681–1737)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 4]}	1718 – February 23, 1737 (Died)	Samuel Shute
15	Paul Dudley (1666–1751)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 4]}	1718 – 1751 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Samuel Shute
16	John Cushing	B. Lynde Sr.	1728 – 1733 (Resigned)	William Burnet
17	Jonathan Remington (1677–1745)	J. Cushing	1733 – September 20, 1745 (Died)	Jonathan Belcher
18	Richard Saltonstall	A. Davenport	1736 – 1756 (Resigned)
19	Thomas Graves (1684–1747)	E. Quincy	1737 – 1738 (Resigned)
20	Stephen Sewall (1702–1760)	T. Graves	1739 – 1745 (Continued as Chief Justice)
21	Nathaniel Hubbard (1680–1748)	P. Dudley	1745 – 1746	William Shirley
22	Benjamin Lynde Jr. (1700–1781)	J. Remington	1747 – 1769 (Continued as Chief Justice)
23	John Cushing Jr.	N. Hubbard	1747 – 1771 (Resigned)
24	Chambers Russell (1713–1766)	St. Sewall	1752 – 1766 (Died)	Spencer Phips
25	Peter Oliver (1713–1791)	R. Saltonstall	1756 – 1772 (Continued as Chief Justice)	William Shirley
26	Edmund Trowbridge (1709–1793)	C. Russell	1767 – 1775 (Removed from office)	Francis Bernard
27	Foster Hutchinson (1724–1799)	B. Lynde Jr.	1771 – 1775 (Removed from office)	Thomas Hutchinson
28	Nathaniel Ropes (1726–1774)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 5]}	1772 – 1774 (Died)
29	William Cushing (1732–1810)	Vacant^{[lower-alpha 5]}	1772 – 1775 (Reorganization of Court)
30	William Brown (1737–1802)	N. Ropes	1774 – 1775 (Removed from office)
31	William Cushing (1732–1810)	Inaugural	1775 – 1776 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Provincial Congress
32	Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Inaugural	1775 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)
33	Jedediah Foster (1726–1779)	Inaugural	1776 – October 17, 1779 (Died)
34	James Sullivan (1744–1808)	Inaugural	March 1776 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)
35	David Sewall (1735–1825)	W. Cushing	1777 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (1780–present)

List of justices

Image	Justice	Position	Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
	William Cushing (1732–1810)	Chief Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1789 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)
—	Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1791 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	David Sewall (1735–1825)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1789 (Appointed to U.S. District Court)
	James Sullivan (1744–1808)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1782 (Resigned)
	Francis Dana (1743–1811)	Associate Justice	J. Foster (1779)	1785 – 1806 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Increase Sumner (1746–1799)	Associate Justice	J. Sullivan	1782 – 1787 (Resigned to become Governor)	John Hancock
—	Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Chief Justice	W. Cushing	1790 – October 2, 1791 (Died)
	Robert Treat Paine (1731–1814)	Associate Justice	D. Sewall	1790 – 1804 (Resigned)
—	Nathan Cushing (1742–1812)	Associate Justice	N. Sargent (as Associate Justice)	1790 – 1800 (Resigned)
	Francis Dana (1743–1811)	Chief Justice	N. Sargent (as Chief Justice)	1791 – 1806 (Resigned)
	Thomas Dawes (1731–1809)	Associate Justice	F. Dana	1792 – 1802 (Resigned)
—	Theophilus Bradbury (1739–1803)	Associate Justice	I. Sumner	1797 – July 1803 (Removed due to poor health)
	Samuel Sewall (1757–1814)	Associate Justice	N. Cushing	1800 – 1814 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Caleb Strong
	Theodore Sedgwick (1746–1813)	Associate Justice	T. Dawes	1802 – January 24, 1813 (Died)
—	Simeon Strong (1736–1805)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1801 – 1805 (Died)
	George Thatcher (1754–1824)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1801 – January 1824 (Resigned)
	Theophilus Parsons (1750–1813)	Chief Justice	F. Dana	1806 – October 13, 1813 (Died)
	Isaac Parker (1768–1830)	Associate Justice	S. Strong	1806 – 1814 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Charles Jackson (1775–1855)	Associate Justice	T. Sedgwick	1813 – 1823 (Resigned)
	Samuel Sewall (1757–1814)	Chief Justice	T. Parsons	1814 – June 8, 1814 (Died)
	Daniel Dewey (1766–1815)	Associate Justice	S. Sewall	1814 – May 26, 1815 (Died)
—	Samuel Putnam	Associate Justice	I. Parker (as Associate Justice)	1814 – 1842 (Resigned)
	Isaac Parker (1768–1830)	Chief Justice	S. Sewall	1814 – July 25, 1830 (Died)
—	Samuel Wilde (1771–1855)	Associate Justice	D. Dewey	1815 – 1850 (Resigned)
	Levi Lincoln Jr. (1782–1868)	Associate Justice	G. Thatcher	1824 – 1825 (Elected Governor)	William Eustis
	Marcus Morton (1784–1864)	Associate Justice	L. Lincoln Jr.	1825 – 1840 (Elected Governor)	Levi Lincoln Jr.
	Lemuel Shaw (1781–1861)	Chief Justice	I. Parker	August 30, 1830 – August 21, 1860 (Resigned)	Levi Lincoln Jr.
—	Charles Augustus Dewey (1793–1866)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1837 – 1866 (Died)	Edward Everett
—	Samuel Hubbard (d. 1847)	Associate Justice	S. Putnam	1842 – 1847 (Died)	John Davis
	Theron Metcalf (1784–1875)	Associate Justice	M. Morton I (1840)	1848 – 1865 (Resigned)	George N. Briggs
—	Charles E. Forbes (1795–1881)	Associate Justice	T. Metcalf	1848 – 1848 (Resigned)
	Richard Fletcher (1788–1869)	Associate Justice	C. Forbes	1848 – 1853 (Resigned)
	George Tyler Bigelow (1810–1878)	Associate Justice	S. Wilde	1850 – 1860 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Caleb Cushing (1800–1879)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1852 – 1853 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)	George S. Boutwell
	Benjamin Thomas (1813–1878)	Associate Justice	R. Fletcher	1853 – 1859 (Resigned)	John H. Clifford
	Pliny Merrick (1794–1867)	Associate Justice	C, Cushing	1853 – 1864 (Resigned)	John H. Clifford
	Ebenezer R. Hoar (1816–1895)	Associate Justice	J. Nolan	1859 – 1869 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)	Nathaniel Prentice Banks
	George Tyler Bigelow (1810–1878)	Chief Justice	L. Shaw	1860 – 1867 (Resigned)
	Reuben Atwater Chapman (1801–1873)	Associate Justice		1860 – 1868 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Horace Gray (1828–1902)	Associate Justice	N. Clifford	1864 – September 15, 1873 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John Albion Andrew
—	James Denison Colt (1819–1881)	Associate Justice	T. Metcalf	1865 – 1866 (Resigned)	John Albion Andrew
	Dwight Foster (1828–1884)	Associate Justice	C. A. Dewey	1866 – 1869 (Resigned)	Alexander H. Bullock
—	John Wells (d. 1875)	Associate Justice	J. D. Colt	1866 – 1875 (Died)
	Reuben Atwater Chapman (1801–1873)	Chief Justice	G. T. Bigelow	1868 – June 28, 1873 (Died)
—	James Denison Colt (1819–1881)	Associate Justice	R. A. Chapman	1868 – 1881 (Died)
	Marcus Morton II (1819–1891)	Associate Justice	E. Hoar	1869 – 1882 (Continued as Chief Justice)	William Claflin
—	Seth Ames (1805–1881)	Associate Justice	D. Foster	1869 – 1881 (Resigned)	William Claflin
	Horace Gray (1828–1902)	Chief Justice	R. A. Chapman	September 15, 1873 – January 9, 1882 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)	William B. Washburn
	Charles Devens (1820–1891)	Associate Justice	H. Gray	1873 – 1877 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)
	William Endicott (1826–1900)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1873 – 1882 (Resigned)
—	Otis Lord (1812–1884)	Associate Justice	J. Wells	1875 – 1882 (Resigned)	William Gaston
	Augustus Soule (1827–1887)	Associate Justice	C. Devens	March 27, 1877 – April 11, 1881 (Resigned)	Alexander H. Rice
	Walbridge A. Field (1833–1899)	Associate Justice	S. Ames	1881 – September 4, 1890 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John D. Long
—	William Allen (d. 1891)	Associate Justice		1881 – 1891 (Died)
	Charles Devens (1820–1891)	Associate Justice	A. Soule	1881 – 1891 (Died)
	Marcus Morton II (1819–1891)	Chief Justice	H. Gray	1882 – 1890 (Resigned)
	Waldo Colburn (1824–1885)	Associate Justice	W. C. Endicott	November 10, 1882 – September 26, 1885 (Died)
	Charles Allen (1827–1913)	Associate Justice	M. Morton II	1882 – 1898 (Resigned)
	Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)	Associate Justice	O. Lord	1882 – 1899 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	William Gardner (1827–1888)	Associate Justice	W. Colburn	1885 – 1887 (Resigned)	George D. Robinson
	Marcus Perrin Knowlton (1839–1918)	Associate Justice	W. Gardner	1887 – 1902 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Oliver Ames
	Walbridge A. Field (1833–1899)	Chief Justice	M. Morton	September 4, 1890 – July 15, 1899 (Died)	John Q. A. Brackett
	James Madison Morton Sr. (1837–1923)	Associate Justice		1890 – 1913 (Resigned)
	James Barker (1839–1905)	Associate Justice	W. Allen	1891 – October 2, 1905 (Died)	William Russell
	John Lathrop (1835–1910)	Associate Justice		1891 – 1906 (Resigned)
	John Wilkes Hammond (1837–1922)	Associate Justice	C. Allen	1898 – 1914 (Resigned)	Roger Wolcott
	Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)	Chief Justice	W. A. Field	August 2, 1899 – December 4, 1902 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)
	William Loring (1851–1930)	Associate Justice	O. W. Holmes	September 7, 1899 – September 16, 1919 (Resigned)
	Henry Braley (1850–1929)	Associate Justice	M. P. Knowlton	1902 – 1929 (Died)	Winthrop M. Crane
	Marcus Perrin Knowlton (1839–1918)	Chief Justice	O. W. Holmes	1902 – September 7, 1911 (Resigned)	Winthrop M. Crane
	Henry Sheldon	Associate Justice	Barker	1905 – 1915 (Resigned)	William Lewis Douglas
	Arthur Prentice Rugg (1862–1938)	Associate Justice	J. Lathrop	1906 – 1911 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Curtis Guild Jr.
	Arthur Prentice Rugg (1862–1938)	Chief Justice	M. P. Knowlton	1911 – June 12, 1938 (Died)	Eugene Foss
	Charles DeCourcy (1857–1924)	Associate Justice	A.P. Rugg	1911 – 1924 (Died)	Eugene Foss
	John C. Crosby (1859–1943)	Associate Justice	J. Morton	December 31, 1913 – October 1, 1937 (Resigned)	David I. Walsh
—	Edward Pierce (1852–1938)	Associate Justice	J. Hammond	1914 – 1937 (Resigned)
—	James Carroll (d. 1932)	Associate Justice	Sheldon	1915 – 1932 (Died)
—	Charles Jenney (1860–1923)	Associate Justice	W. Loring	1919 – November 29, 1923 (Died)	Calvin Coolidge
	William C. Wait (1860–1935)	Associate Justice	C. Jenney	1923 – 1934 (Resigned)	Channing H. Cox
—	George A. Sanderson (1863–1932)	Associate Justice	W. Wait	1924 – 1932 (Died)	Channing H. Cox
—	Fred Tarbell Field (1876–1950)	Associate Justice	H. Braley	January 30, 1929 – June 30, 1938 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Frank G. Allen
—	Charles Donahue (1877–1952)	Associate Justice		March 17, 1932 – April 26, 1944(Resigned)	Joseph B. Ely
—	Henry Lummus	Associate Justice		1932 – 1955
—	Stanley Elroy Qua (1880–1965)	Associate Justice		1934 – 1947 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Arthur Dolan (1876–1949)	Associate Justice	J. C. Crosby	1937 – August 20, 1949 (Resigned)	Charles F. Hurley
	Louis Cox (1874–1961)	Associate Justice	Edward Pierce	1937 – 1944 (Resigned)
—	Fred Tarbell Field (1876–1950)	Chief Justice	A. P. Rugg	June 30, 1938 – July 24, 1947 (Resigned)
—	James Ronan (d. 1959)	Associate Justice	F. T. Field	1938 – 1959 (Died)
—	Raymond Sanger Wilkins (1891–1971)	Associate Justice	L. Cox	1944 – 1956 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Leverett Saltonstall
—	John Spalding	Associate Justice	C. Donahue	1944 – 1971	Leverett Saltonstall
—	Stanley Elroy Qua (1880–1965)	Chief Justice	F. T. Field	1947 – 1956 (Resigned)	Robert F. Bradford
	Harold P. Williams (1882–1963)	Associate Justice	S. Qua	1947 – 1962 (Resigned)	Robert F. Bradford
	Edward Counihan (1882–1961)	Associate Justice	A. Dolan	1949 – 1960 (Resigned)	Paul A. Dever
—	Arthur Whittemore (1896–1969)	Associate Justice	H. Lummus	October 1955 – October 1, 1969 (Died)	Christian Herter
—	Raymond Sanger Wilkins (1891–1971)	Chief Justice	S. E. Qua	1956 – 1970(Resigned)
—	R. Ammi Cutter	Associate Justice		1956 – 1972
	Paul G. Kirk Sr. (1904–1981)	Associate Justice	E. Counihan	November 23, 1960 – December 15, 1970 (Resigned)	Foster Furcolo
—	Jacob Spiegel (1902–1984)	Associate Justice	J. Ronan	1960 – 1972 (Resigned)	Foster Furcolo
—	G. Joseph Tauro (1906–1994)	Associate Justice		1961 – 1970 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John Volpe
—	Paul Reardon (1909–1988)	Associate Justice	H. P. Williams	1962 – 1977 (Resigned)	John Volpe
—	G. Joseph Tauro (1906–1994)	Chief Justice	R. S. Wilkins	1970 – 1976 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Francis Quirico	Associate Justice		1969 – 1981	Francis W. Sargent
—	Robert Braucher (1916–1981)	Associate Justice	P. Kirk	January 18, 1971 – August 26, 1981 (Died)
—	Edward F. Hennessey (1919–2007)	Associate Justice	J. Spalding	1971 – 1976 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Benjamin Kaplan (1911–2010)	Associate Justice	R. A. Cutter	1972 – 1981 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Herbert P. Wilkins (1930–)	Associate Justice	J. Spiegel	1972 – 1996 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Edward F. Hennessey (1919–2007)	Chief Justice	G. J. Tauro	1976 – 1989 (Mandatory retirement)	Michael Dukakis
—	Paul J. Liacos (1929–1999)	Associate Justice	E. Hennessey	1976 – June 20, 1986 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Ruth Abrams (1930–2019)	Associate Justice	P. Reardon	1978 – 2000 (Mandatory retirement)
	Joseph R. Nolan (1925–2013)	Associate Justice	F. Quirico	1981 – 1995 (Mandatory retirement)	Edward J. King
—	Neil L. Lynch (1930–2014)	Associate Justice	B. Kaplan	1981 – 2000 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Francis Patrick O'Connor (1927–2007)	Associate Justice	R. Braucher	1981 – 1997 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Paul J. Liacos (1929–1999)	Chief Justice	E. Hennessey	June 20, 1986 – September 30, 1996 (Resigned)	Michael Dukakis
—	John M. Greaney (1939–)	Associate Justice	P. Liacos	1989 – 2008 (Resigned)	Michael Dukakis
	Charles Fried (1935–2024)	Associate Justice	J. Nolan	September 1995 – June 1999 (Resigned)	William Weld
	Margaret H. Marshall (1944–)	Associate Justice		1996 – October 14, 1999 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Herbert P. Wilkins (1930–)	Chief Justice	P. Liacos	1996 – October 13, 1999 (Resigned)
—	Roderick L. Ireland (1944–)	Associate Justice		1997 – December 20, 2010 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Margaret H. Marshall (1944–)	Chief Justice	H. Wilkins	October 14, 1999 – October 31, 2010 (Resigned)	Paul Cellucci
—	Judith Cowin (1942–)	Associate Justice	C. Fried	1999 – 2011 (Resigned)
—	Francis X. Spina (1946–)	Associate Justice	M. Marshall	1999 – August 12, 2016 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Martha B. Sosman (1950–2007)	Associate Justice	N. Lynch	2000 – March 10, 2007 (Died)
—	Robert J. Cordy (1949–)	Associate Justice	R. Abrams	2001 – August 12, 2016 (Resigned)
	Margot Botsford (1947–)	Associate Justice	M. Sosman	September 4, 2007 – March 15, 2017 (Mandatory retirement)	Deval Patrick
	Ralph Gants (1954–2020)	Associate Justice	J. Greaney	January 29, 2009 – July 28, 2014 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Roderick L. Ireland (1944–)	Chief Justice	M. Marshall	December 20, 2010 – July 25, 2014 (Mandatory retirement)
	Barbara Lenk (1950–)	Associate Justice	J. Cowin	June 8, 2011 – December 1, 2020 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Fernande R.V. Duffly (1949–)	Associate Justice	R. Ireland	February 1, 2011 – July 12, 2016 (Resigned)
	Ralph Gants (1954–2020)	Chief Justice	R. Ireland	July 28, 2014 – September 14, 2020^[1]^[2] (Died)
—	Geraldine Hines (1947–)	Associate Justice	R. Gants	July 31, 2014 – August 18, 2017 (Mandatory retirement)
	Frank Gaziano (1963–)	Associate Justice	F. Spina	August 18, 2016 – Incumbent	Charlie Baker
	Kimberly S. Budd (1966–)	Associate Justice	F. Duffly	August 24, 2016 – December 1, 2020 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	David A. Lowy (1959/60–)	Associate Justice	R. Cordy	August 24, 2016 – February 3, 2024 (Retired)
	Elspeth B. Cypher (1959–)	Associate Justice	M. Botsford	March 31, 2017 – January 12, 2024 (Retired)
	Scott Kafker (1959–)	Associate Justice	G. Hines	August 21, 2017 – Incumbent
	Kimberly S. Budd (1966–)	Chief Justice	R. Gants	December 1, 2020 – Incumbent
	Dalila Argaez Wendlandt (1968/69–)	Associate Justice	B. Lenk	December 4, 2020 – Incumbent
	Serge Georges Jr. (1969-70–)	Associate Justice	K. Budd	December 16, 2020 – Incumbent
—	Bessie Dewar (1980–)	Associate Justice	E. Cypher	January 16, 2024 – Incumbent	Maura Healey
—	Gabrielle Wolohojian (1960–)	Associate Justice	D. Lowy	Designate	Maura Healey

Notes

↑ These justices were appointed by a provisional government. The Province of Massachusetts Bay was dissolved in 1780 when the Constitution of Massachusetts was adopted.
1 2 3 4 5 All judges appointed before 1695 were reappointed in that year (except John Richards, who had died) because the legislation creating the court was vetoed in that year by the Privy Council. Several further attempts to legislate the court's existence were vetoed, and it was not until 1699 that the provincial assembly enacted laws creating courts that satisfied the Privy Council.
↑ Lynde and Thomas were appointed to fill vacancies created by the death of John Whalley and the resignation of John Hathorne.
↑ Quincy and Dudley were appointed to fill vacancies created by the deaths of Wait Winthrop and Nathaniel Thomas.
↑ Ropes and Cushing were appointed to replace John Cushing and Benjamin Lynde Jr., both of whom resigned. Peter Oliver was named Chief Justice, replacing Lynde.

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Paul Grattan Kirk Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 2009 to 2010, having been appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Ted Kennedy. From 1985 to 1989, he chaired the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prentiss Mellen</span> American judge

Prentiss Mellen was a lawyer, politician, and jurist from Massachusetts and Maine. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Harvard, Mellen served for two years as a United States Senator from Massachusetts, and was appointed Maine's first chief justice after it achieved statehood in 1820.

The Taney Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States from 1836 to 1864, when Roger Taney served as the fifth Chief Justice of the United States. Taney succeeded John Marshall as Chief Justice after Marshall's death in 1835. Taney served as Chief Justice until his death in 1864, at which point Salmon P. Chase took office. Taney had been an important member of Andrew Jackson's administration, an advocate of Jacksonian democracy, and had played a major role in the Bank War, during which Taney wrote a memo questioning the Supreme Court's power of judicial review. However, the Taney Court did not strongly break from the decisions and precedents of the Marshall Court, as it continued to uphold a strong federal government with an independent judiciary. Most of the Taney Court's holdings are overshadowed by the decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, in which the court ruled that African-Americans could not be citizens. However, the Taney Court's decisions regarding economic issues and separation of powers set important precedents, and the Taney Court has been lauded for its ability to adapt regulatory law to a country undergoing remarkable technological and economic progress.

Roderick L. Ireland is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the first African American to serve that position. He was nominated for Chief Justice by Governor Deval Patrick on November 4, 2010, and sworn in on December 20. He retired from service on the court on July 25, 2014.

Ralph D. Gants was an American attorney and jurist who served as the chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He was sworn in on July 28, 2014. Gants had previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney.

William Maurice “Mo” Cowan is an American lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from February 1, 2013, to July 15, 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as legal counsel and chief of staff to Governor Deval Patrick. Patrick appointed him on an interim basis to fill the vacancy left by fellow Democrat John Kerry, who resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.

Geraldine S. Hines is an American retired judge who formerly served served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 2014 to 2017. She was nominated in July 2014 by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and confirmed by an 8–0 vote of the Governor's Council. She succeeded Ralph D. Gants, who was promoted to chief justice.

Nathan Cushing was a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1790 to 1800. He was appointed by Governor John Hancock to the seat vacated by the elevation of Nathaniel Sargent to chief justice.

Paul Grattan Kirk was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Kimberly S. Budd is the chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and former justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.

References

↑ Becker, Deborah. "Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants Dies At 65". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
↑ Marquard, Bryan. "SJC Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants has died - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.

v t e Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Chief justices (1692–present)	Stoughton Winthrop Addington Winthrop Samuel Sewall Lynde Sr. Dudley Stephen Sewall T. Hutchinson Lynde Jr. Oliver Adams Cushing Sargent Dana Parsons Sewall Parker Shaw Bigelow Chapman Gray Morton W. Field Holmes Knowlton Rugg F. Field Qua R. Wilkins Tauro Hennessey Liacos H. Wilkins Marshall Ireland Gants Budd
Provincial period Associate justices (1692–1775)	Danforth Richards Samuel Sewall Winthrop Cooke Walley Saffin Hathorne Leverett Curwin Lynde Sr. Thomas Davenport Quincy Dudley J. Cushing Sr. Remington Saltonstall Graves Stephen Sewall Hubbard Lynde Jr. J. Cushing Jr. Russell Oliver Trowbridge F. Hutchinson Ropes W. Cushing Brown
Revolutionary period Associate justices (1775–80)	Sargent Reed Paine Warren Foster Sullivan D. Sewall
Commonwealth period Associate justices (1780–present)	Sumner Dana N. Cushing Paine Dawes Bradbury Sewall Strong Thatcher Sedgwick Parker Jackson D. Dewey Putnam Wilde C. Dewey Lincoln M. Morton Sr. Hubbard Fletcher Forbes Metcalf Bigelow C. Cushing Merrick Thomas Hoar Chapman Gray Colt Foster Ames Wells M. Morton Jr. Devens Endicott Lord Soule W. Allen Devens W. Field C. Allen Colburn Holmes Gardner Knowlton J. Morton Barker Lathrop Hammond Loring Braley Sheldon Rugg DeCourcy Crosby Pierce Carroll Jenney Wait Sanderson F. Field Donahue Lummus Qua Cox Dolan Ronan Spalding R. Wilkins Williams Counihan Whittemore Cutter Kirk Jacob Spiegel Reardon Quirico Braucher Hennessey Kaplan H. Wilkins Liacos Abrams Lynch Nolan O'Connor Greaney Fried Marshall Ireland Cowin Spina Sosman Cordy Botsford Gants Duffly Lenk Hines Gaziano Lowy Budd Cypher Kafker Wendlandt Georges Jr. Dewar Wolohojian (Designate)
Italics indicate individuals who were offered seats on the court, but refused