List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
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The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices, any six of whom would constitute a quorum.[1][2] Justices are nominated by the President of the United States and appointed after confirmation by the United States Senate. Justices of the Supreme Court have life tenure[3] and receive a salary which is set at $255,500 per year for the chief justice and at $244,400 per year for each associate justice as of 2014.[4][5][6]
The current Chief Justice (since September 2005) is John Roberts. The newest Associate justice is Elena Kagan, who became the 112th person to serve on the Court in August, 2010.[7] One seat on the Court has been vacant since the February 13, 2016 death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.
The Supreme Court was created in 1789 by Article III of the United States Constitution, which stipulated that the "judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court" together with any lower courts Congress may establish.[3] Congress organized the Court that year with the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789. It specified the Court's original and appellate jurisdiction, created thirteen judicial districts, and fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices).[8][9]
Since 1789, Congress has occasionally altered the size of the Supreme Court, historically in response to the country's own expansion in size. Membership was decreased in 1801 to five, then increased to seven members in 1807, to nine in 1837, and to ten in 1863. It was then reduced to seven in 1866. In 1869, Congress set the Court's size to nine members, where it has remained since.[10]
While the justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, many have retired or resigned. Beginning in the early 20th century, many justices who left the Court voluntarily did so by retiring from the Court without leaving the federal judiciary altogether. A retired justice, according to the United States Code, is no longer a member of the Supreme Court, but remains eligible to serve by designation as a judge of a U.S. Court of Appeals or District Court, and many retired justices have served in these capacities.
Historically, the average length of service on the Court has been less than 15 years. However, since 1970 the average length of service has increased to about 26 years.[11]
Current Justices of the Supreme Court
There are currently eight justices serving on the Supreme Court; one seat has been vacant since the February 13, 2016 death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. The court is composed of:
-
John Roberts,
Chief Justice
since 2005
-
Anthony Kennedy,
Associate Justice
since 1988 -
Clarence Thomas,
Associate Justice
since 1991 -
Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
Associate Justice
since 1993 -
Stephen Breyer,
Associate Justice
since 1994
-
Samuel Alito,
Associate Justice
since 2006 -
Sonia Sotomayor,
Associate Justice
since 2009 -
Elena Kagan,
Associate Justice
since 2010
All Justices of the Supreme Court
Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 112 persons have served on the Court. Five individuals in this group were confirmed for associate justice, and later confirmed for chief justice separately. While listed twice, each of them has been assigned only one index number. The justices of the Supreme Court are:[12][13]
Justice | State[a] | Position | Replacing | Date confirmed (Vote) |
Tenure | Tenure length | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Jay (1745–1829) |
NY | Chief Justice |
New seat | September 26, 1789 (Acclamation) |
September 26, 1789 – June 29, 1795 (Resigned) |
5 years, 276 days | George Washington |
2 | John Rutledge (1739–1800) |
SC | Associate Justice |
New seat | September 26, 1789 (Acclamation) |
September 26, 1789 – March 4, 1791 (Resigned) |
1 year, 159 days | |
3 | William Cushing (1732–1810) |
MA | Associate Justice |
New seat | September 26, 1789 (Acclamation) |
September 27, 1789 – September 13, 1810 (Died) |
20 years, 351 days | |
4 | James Wilson (1742–1798) |
PA | Associate Justice |
New seat | September 26, 1789 (Acclamation) |
September 29, 1789 – August 21, 1798 (Died) |
8 years, 326 days | |
5 | John Blair (1732–1800) |
VA | Associate Justice |
New seat | September 26, 1789 (Acclamation) |
September 30, 1789 – October 25, 1795 (Resigned) |
6 years, 25 days | |
6 | James Iredell (1751–1799) |
NC | Associate Justice |
New seat | February 10, 1790 (Acclamation) |
May 12, 1790 – October 20, 1799 (Died) |
9 years, 161 days | |
7 | Thomas Johnson (1732–1819) |
MD | Associate Justice |
J. Rutledge | November 7, 1791 (Acclamation) |
August 5, 1792[b][c] – January 16, 1793 (Resigned) |
164 days | |
8 | William Paterson (1745–1806) |
NJ | Associate Justice |
T. Johnson | March 4, 1793 (Acclamation) |
March 4, 1793 – September 8, 1806 (Died) |
13 years, 188 days | |
2 [d] |
John Rutledge (1739–1800) |
SC | Chief Justice |
Jay | December 15, 1795 (10–14)[e] |
June 30, 1795[b] – December 28, 1795 (Resigned) |
181 days | |
9 | Samuel Chase[f] (1741–1811) |
MD | Associate Justice |
Blair | January 27, 1796 (Acclamation) |
January 27, 1796 – June 19, 1811 (Died) |
15 years, 143 days | |
10 | Oliver Ellsworth (1745–1807) |
CT | Chief Justice |
J. Rutledge | March 4, 1796 (21–1) |
March 8, 1796 – December 15, 1800 (Resigned) |
4 years, 282 days | |
11 | Bushrod Washington (1762–1829) |
VA | Associate Justice |
Wilson | December 20, 1798 (Acclamation) |
December 20, 1798 – November 26, 1829 (Died) |
30 years, 341 days | John Adams |
12 | Alfred Moore (1755–1810) |
NC | Associate Justice |
Iredell | December 9, 1799 (Acclamation) |
December 10, 1799 – January 26, 1804 (Resigned) |
4 years, 47 days | |
13 | John Marshall (1755–1835) |
VA | Chief Justice |
Ellsworth | January 27, 1801 (Acclamation) |
February 4, 1801 – July 6, 1835 (died) |
34 years, 152 days | |
14 | William Johnson (1771–1834) |
SC | Associate Justice |
Moore | March 24, 1804 (Acclamation) |
May 7, 1804 – August 4, 1834 (Died) |
30 years, 89 days | Thomas Jefferson |
15 | Henry Brockholst Livingston (1757–1823) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Paterson | December 17, 1806 (Acclamation) |
January 20, 1807 – March 18, 1823 (Died) |
16 years, 57 days | |
16 | Thomas Todd (1765–1826) |
KY | Associate Justice |
New seat | March 2, 1807 (Acclamation) |
March 3, 1807 – February 7, 1826 (Died) |
18 years, 341 days | |
17 | Gabriel Duvall (1752–1844) |
MD | Associate Justice |
S. Chase | November 18, 1811 (Acclamation) |
November 23, 1811 – January 12, 1835 (Resigned) |
23 years, 50 days | James Madison |
18 | Joseph Story (1779–1845) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Cushing | November 18, 1811 (Acclamation) |
February 3, 1812 – September 10, 1845 (Died) |
33 years, 219 days | |
19 | Smith Thompson (1768–1843) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Livingston | December 9, 1823 (Acclamation) |
September 1, 1823[b] – December 18, 1843 (Died) |
20 years, 108 days | James Monroe |
20 | Robert Trimble (1776–1828) |
KY | Associate Justice |
Todd | May 9, 1826 (25-5) |
May 9, 1826 – August 25, 1828 (Died) |
2 years, 108 days | John Quincy Adams |
21 | John McLean (1785–1861) |
OH | Associate Justice |
Trimble | March 7, 1829 (Acclamation) |
March 7, 1829 – April 4, 1861 (Died) |
32 years, 28 days | Andrew Jackson |
22 | Henry Baldwin (1780–1844) |
PA | Associate Justice |
Washington | January 6, 1830 (41-2) |
January 6, 1830 – April 21, 1844 (Died) |
14 years, 106 days | |
23 | James Moore Wayne (1790–1867) |
GA | Associate Justice |
W. Johnson | January 9, 1835 (Acclamation) |
January 14, 1835 – July 5, 1867 (Died) |
32 years, 172 days | |
24 | Roger B. Taney (1777–1864) |
MD | Chief Justice |
J. Marshall | March 15, 1836 (29–15) |
March 28, 1836 – October 12, 1864 (Died) |
28 years, 198 days | |
25 | Philip Pendleton Barbour (1783–1841) |
VA | Associate Justice |
Duvall | March 15, 1836 (30-11) |
March 15, 1836 – February 25, 1841 (Died) |
4 years, 347 days | |
26 | John Catron (1786–1865) |
TN | Associate Justice |
New seat | March 8, 1837 (28-15) |
March 8, 1837 – May 30, 1865 (Died) |
28 years, 83 days | |
27 | John McKinley (1780–1852) |
AL | Associate Justice |
New seat | September 25, 1837 (Acclamation) |
April 22, 1837 – July 19, 1852 (Died) |
15 years, 88 days | Martin Van Buren |
28 | Peter Vivian Daniel (1784–1860) |
VA | Associate Justice |
Barbour | March 2, 1841 (25-5) |
March 3, 1841 – May 31, 1860 (Died) |
19 years, 89 days | |
29 | Samuel Nelson (1792–1873) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Thompson | February 14, 1845 (Acclamation) |
February 14, 1845 – November 28, 1872 (Retired) |
27 years, 288 days | John Tyler |
30 | Levi Woodbury (1789–1851) |
NH | Associate Justice |
Story | January 31, 1846 (Acclamation) |
September 20, 1845[b] – September 4, 1851 (Died) |
5 years, 349 days | James K. Polk |
31 | Robert Cooper Grier (1794–1870) |
PA | Associate Justice |
Baldwin | August 4, 1846 (Acclamation) |
August 4, 1846 – January 31, 1870 (Retired) |
23 years, 180 days | |
32 | Benjamin Robbins Curtis (1809–1874) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Woodbury | December 20, 1851 (Acclamation) |
September 22, 1851[b] – September 30, 1857 (Resigned) |
6 years, 8 days | Millard Fillmore |
33 | John Archibald Campbell (1811–1889) |
AL | Associate Justice |
McKinley | March 22, 1853 (Acclamation) |
March 23, 1853 – April 30, 1861 (Resigned) |
8 years, 38 days | Franklin Pierce |
34 | Nathan Clifford (1803–1881) |
ME | Associate Justice |
Curtis | January 12, 1858 (26-23) |
January 12, 1858 – July 25, 1881 (Died) |
23 years, 194 days | James Buchanan |
35 | Noah Haynes Swayne (1804–1884) |
OH | Associate Justice |
McLean | January 24, 1862 (38-1) |
January 24, 1862 – January 24, 1881 (Retired) |
19 years, 0 days | Abraham Lincoln |
36 | Samuel Freeman Miller (1816–1890) |
IA | Associate Justice |
Daniel | July 16, 1862 (Acclamation) |
July 16, 1862 – October 13, 1890 (Died) |
28 years, 89 days | |
37 | David Davis (1815–1886) |
IL | Associate Justice |
Campbell | December 8, 1862 (Acclamation) |
October 17, 1862[b] – March 3, 1877 (Resigned) |
14 years, 137 days | |
38 | Stephen Johnson Field (1816–1899) |
CA | Associate Justice |
New seat | March 10, 1863 (Acclamation) |
March 10, 1863 – December 1, 1897 (Retired) |
34 years, 266 days | |
39 | Salmon P. Chase (1808–1873) |
OH | Chief Justice |
Tanney | December 6, 1864 (Acclamation) |
December 15, 1864 – May 7, 1873 (Died) |
8 years, 152 days | |
40 | William Strong (1808–1895) |
PA | Associate Justice |
Grier | February 18, 1870 (No vote recorded) |
February 18, 1870 – December 14, 1880 (Retired) |
10 years, 300 days | Ulysses S. Grant |
41 | Joseph Philo Bradley (1813–1892) |
NJ | Associate Justice |
New seat | March 21, 1870 (46-9) |
March 21, 1870 – January 22, 1892 (Died) |
21 years, 307 days | |
42 | Ward Hunt (1810–1886) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Nelson | December 11, 1872 (Acclamation) |
December 11, 1872 – January 27, 1882 (Retired) |
9 years, 47 days | |
43 | Morrison Waite (1816–1888) |
OH | Chief Justice |
S. P. Chase | January 21, 1874 (63–0) |
March 4, 1874 – March 23, 1888 (Died) |
14 years, 19 days | |
44 | John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911) |
KY | Associate Justice |
Davis | November 29, 1877 (Acclamation) |
November 29, 1877 – October 14, 1911 (Died) |
33 years, 319 days | Rutherford B. Hayes |
45 | William Burnham Woods (1824–1887) |
GA | Associate Justice |
Strong | December 21, 1880 (39-8) |
December 21, 1880 – May 14, 1887 (Died) |
6 years, 144 days | |
46 | Stanley Matthews (1824–1889) |
OH | Associate Justice |
Swayne | May 12, 1881 (24-23) |
May 12, 1881 – March 22, 1889 (Died) |
7 years, 314 days | James Garfield |
47 | Horace Gray (1828–1902) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Clifford | December 20, 1881 (51-5) |
December 20, 1881 – September 15, 1902 (Died) |
20 years, 269 days | Chester A. Arthur |
48 | Samuel Blatchford (1820–1893) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Hunt | March 22, 1882 (Acclamation) |
March 22, 1882 – July 7, 1893 (Died) |
11 years, 107 days | |
49 | Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II (1825–1893) |
MS | Associate Justice |
Woods | January 16, 1888 (32-28) |
January 16, 1888 – January 23, 1893 (Died) |
5 years, 7 days | Grover Cleveland |
50 | Melville Fuller (1833–1910) |
IL | Chief Justice |
Waite | July 20, 1888 (41–20) |
October 8, 1888 – July 4, 1910 (Died) |
21 years, 269 days | |
51 | David Josiah Brewer (1837–1910) |
KS | Associate Justice |
Matthews | December 18, 1889 (53-11) |
December 18, 1889 – March 28, 1910 (Died) |
20 years, 100 days | Benjamin Harrison |
52 | Henry Billings Brown (1836–1913) |
MI | Associate Justice |
Miller | December 29, 1890 (Acclamation) |
December 29, 1890 – May 28, 1906 (Retired) |
15 years, 150 days | |
53 | George Shiras, Jr. (1832–1924) |
PA | Associate Justice |
Bradley | July 26, 1892 (Acclamation) |
July 26, 1892 – February 23, 1903 (Retired) |
10 years, 212 days | |
54 | Howell Edmunds Jackson (1832–1895) |
TN | Associate Justice |
L. Lamar | February 18, 1893 (Acclamation) |
February 18, 1893 – August 8, 1895 (Died) |
2 years, 171 days | |
55 | Edward Douglass White (1845–1921) |
LA | Associate Justice |
Blatchford | February 19, 1894 (Acclamation) |
February 19, 1894 – December 18, 1910 (Continued as chief justice) |
16 years, 302 days | Grover Cleveland |
56 | Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1838–1909) |
NY | Associate Justice |
H. Jackson | December 9, 1895 (Acclamation) |
December 9, 1895 – October 24, 1909 (Died) |
13 years, 319 days | |
57 | Joseph McKenna (1843–1926) |
CA | Associate Justice[g] |
Field | January 21, 1898 (Acclamation) |
January 21, 1898 – January 5, 1925 (Retired) |
26 years, 350 days | William McKinley |
58 | Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) |
MA | Associate Justice[h] |
Gray | December 4, 1902 (Acclamation) |
December 4, 1902 – January 12, 1932 (Retired) |
29 years, 39 days | Theodore Roosevelt |
59 | William R. Day (1849–1923) |
OH | Associate Justice |
Shiras | February 23, 1903 (Acclamation) |
February 23, 1903 – November 13, 1922 (Retired) |
19 years, 263 days | |
60 | William Henry Moody (1853–1917) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Brown | December 12, 1906 (Acclamation) |
December 12, 1906 – November 20, 1910 (Retired) |
3 years, 343 days | |
61 | Horace Harmon Lurton (1844–1914) |
TN | Associate Justice |
Peckham | December 20, 1909 (Acclamation) |
December 20, 1909 – July 12, 1914 (Died) |
4 years, 204 days | William Howard Taft |
62 | Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Brewer | May 2, 1910 (Acclamation) |
October 10, 1910 – June 10, 1916 (Resigned) |
5 years, 244 days | |
55 [i] |
Edward Douglass White (1845–1921) |
LA | Chief Justice |
Fuller | December 12, 1910 (Acclamation) |
December 19, 1910 – May 19, 1921 (Died) |
10 years, 151 days | |
63 | Willis Van Devanter (1859–1941) |
WY | Associate Justice |
E. D. White | December 15, 1910 (Acclamation) |
December 16, 1910 – June 2, 1937 (Retired) |
26 years, 168 days | |
64 | Joseph Rucker Lamar (1857–1916) |
GA | Associate Justice |
Moody | December 15, 1910 (Acclamation) |
December 17, 1910 – January 2, 1916 (Died) |
5 years, 16 days | |
65 | Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924) |
NJ | Associate Justice |
J. Harlan | March 13, 1912 (50-26) |
March 13, 1912 – December 31, 1922 (Resigned) |
10 years, 293 days | |
66 | James Clark McReynolds (1862–1946) |
TN | Associate Justice |
Lurton | August 29, 1914 (44-6) |
August 29, 1914 – January 31, 1941 (Retired) |
26 years, 155 days | Woodrow Wilson |
67 | Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) |
MA | Associate Justice |
J. Lamar | June 1, 1916 (47-22) |
June 1, 1916 – February 13, 1939 (Retired) |
22 years, 257 days | |
68 | John Hessin Clarke (1857–1945) |
OH | Associate Justice |
Hughes | July 24, 1916 (Acclamation) |
July 24, 1916 – September 5, 1922 (Retired) |
6 years, 43 days | |
69 | William Howard Taft (1857–1930) |
CT | Chief Justice |
E. D. White | June 30, 1921 (Acclamation) |
July 11, 1921 – February 3, 1930 (Retired) |
8 years, 207 days | Warren G. Harding |
70 | George Sutherland (1862–1942) |
UT | Associate Justice |
Clarke | September 5, 1922 (Acclamation) |
September 5, 1922 – January 17, 1938 (Retired) |
15 years, 134 days | |
71 | Pierce Butler (1866–1939) |
MN | Associate Justice |
Day | December 21, 1922 (61-8) |
December 21, 1922 – November 16, 1939 (Died) |
16 years, 330 days | |
72 | Edward Terry Sanford (1865–1930) |
TN | Associate Justice |
Pitney | January 29, 1923 (Acclamation) |
January 29, 1923 – March 8, 1930 (Died) |
7 years, 38 days | |
73 | Harlan F. Stone (1872–1946) |
NY | Associate Justice[j] |
McKenna | February 5, 1925 (71-6) |
February 5, 1925 – July 3, 1941 (Continued as chief justice) |
16 years, 148 days | Calvin Coolidge |
62 [d] |
Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) |
NY | Chief Justice |
Taft | February 13, 1930 (52–26) |
February 24, 1930 – June 30, 1941 (Retired) |
11 years, 126 days | Herbert Hoover |
74 | Owen Josephus Roberts (1875–1955) |
PA | Associate Justice |
Sanford | May 20, 1930 (Acclamation) |
May 20, 1930 – July 31, 1945 (Resigned) |
15 years, 72 days | |
75 | Benjamin N. Cardozo (1870–1938) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Holmes | February 24, 1932 (Acclamation) |
March 2, 1932 – July 9, 1938 (Died) |
6 years, 129 days | |
76 | Hugo Black (1886–1971) |
AL | Associate Justice[k] |
Van Devanter | August 17, 1937 (63-16) |
August 18, 1937 – September 17, 1971 (Retired) |
34 years, 30 days | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
77 | Stanley Forman Reed (1884–1980) |
KY | Associate Justice |
Sutherland | January 25, 1938 (Acclamation) |
January 27, 1938 – February 25, 1957 (Retired) |
19 years, 29 days | |
78 | Felix Frankfurter (1882–1965) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Cardozo | January 17, 1939 (Acclamation) |
January 20, 1939 – August 28, 1962 (Retired) |
23 years, 220 days | |
79 | William O. Douglas (1898–1980) |
CT | Associate Justice |
Brandeis | April 4, 1939 (62-4) |
April 15, 1939 – November 12, 1975 (Retired) |
36 years, 211 days | |
80 | Frank Murphy (1890–1949) |
MI | Associate Justice |
Butler | January 16, 1940 (Acclamation) |
January 18, 1940 – July 19, 1949 (Died) |
9 years, 182 days | |
73 [i] |
Harlan F. Stone (1872–1946) |
NY | Chief Justice |
Hughes | June 27, 1941 (Acclamation) |
July 3, 1941 – April 22, 1946 (Died) |
4 years, 293 days | |
81 | James F. Byrnes (1882–1972) |
SC | Associate Justice |
McReynolds | June 12, 1941 (Acclamation) |
July 8, 1941 – October 3, 1942 (Resigned) |
1 year, 87 days | |
82 | Robert H. Jackson (1892–1954) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Stone | July 7, 1941 (Acclamation) |
July 11, 1941 – October 9, 1954 (Died) |
13 years, 90 days | |
83 | Wiley Blount Rutledge (1894–1949) |
IA | Associate Justice |
Byrnes | February 8, 1943 (Acclamation) |
February 11, 1943 – September 10, 1949 (Died) |
6 years, 211 days | |
84 | Harold Hitz Burton (1888–1964) |
OH | Associate Justice |
O. Roberts | September 19, 1945 (Acclamation) |
September 22, 1945 – October 13, 1958 (Retired) |
13 years, 21 days | Harry S. Truman |
85 | Fred M. Vinson (1890–1953) |
KY | Chief Justice |
Stone | June 20, 1946 (Acclamation) |
June 24, 1946 – September 8, 1953 (Died) |
7 years, 76 days | |
86 | Tom C. Clark (1899–1977) |
TX | Associate Justice |
Murphy | August 18, 1949 (73-8) |
August 19, 1949 – June 12, 1967 (Retired) |
17 years, 297 days | |
87 | Sherman Minton (1890–1965) |
IN | Associate Justice |
W. Rutledge | October 4, 1949 (48-16) |
October 12, 1949 – October 15, 1956 (Retired) |
7 years, 3 days | |
88 | Earl Warren (1891–1974) |
CA | Chief Justice |
Vinson | March 1, 1954 (Acclamtion) |
October 5, 1953[b] – June 23, 1969 (Retired) |
15 years, 261 days | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
89 | John Marshall Harlan II (1899–1971) |
NY | Associate Justice |
R. Jackson | March 16, 1955 (71-11) |
March 17, 1955 – September 23, 1971 (Retired) |
16 years, 190 days | |
90 | William J. Brennan (1906–1997) |
NJ | Associate Justice |
Minton | March 19, 1957 (Acclamation) |
October 15, 1956[b] – July 20, 1990 (Retired) |
33 years, 278 days | |
91 | Charles Evans Whittaker (1901–1973) |
MO | Associate Justice |
Reed | March 19, 1957 (Acclamation) |
March 22, 1957 – March 31, 1962 (Resigned) |
5 years, 9 days | |
92 | Potter Stewart (1915–1985) |
OH | Associate Justice |
Burton | May 5, 1959 (70-17) |
October 14, 1958[b] – July 3, 1981 (Retired) |
22 years, 262 days | |
93 | Byron White (1917–2002) |
CO | Associate Justice |
Whittaker | April 11, 1962 (Acclamation) |
April 16, 1962 – June 28, 1993 (Retired) |
31 years, 73 days | John F. Kennedy |
94 | Arthur Goldberg (1908–1990) |
IL | Associate Justice |
Frankfurter | September 25, 1962 (Acclamation) |
September 28, 1962 – July 26, 1965 (Resigned) |
2 years, 301 days | |
95 | Abe Fortas (1910–1982) |
TN | Associate Justice |
Goldberg | August 11, 1965 (Acclamation) |
October 4, 1965 – May 14, 1969 (Resigned) |
3 years, 222 days | Lyndon B. Johnson |
96 | Thurgood Marshall (1908–1993) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Clark | August 30, 1967 (69-11) |
October 2, 1967 – October 1, 1991 (Retired) |
23 years, 364 days | |
97 | Warren E. Burger (1907–1995) |
VA | Chief Justice |
Warren | June 9, 1969 (74–3) |
June 23, 1969 – September 26, 1986 (Retired) |
17 years, 95 days | Richard Nixon |
98 | Harry Blackmun (1908–1999) |
MN | Associate Justice |
Fortas | May 12, 1970 (94-0) |
June 9, 1970 – August 3, 1994 (Retired) |
24 years, 55 days | |
99 | Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr. (1907–1998) |
VA | Associate Justice |
Black | December 6, 1971 (89-1) |
January 7, 1972 – June 26, 1987 (Retired) |
15 years, 170 days | |
100 | William Rehnquist (1924–2005) |
AZ | Associate Justice |
J. Harlan II | December 10, 1971 (68-26) |
January 7, 1972 – September 26, 1986 (Continued as chief justice) |
14 years, 262 days | |
101 | John Paul Stevens (born 1920) |
IL | Associate Justice[l] |
Douglas | December 17, 1975 (98-0) |
December 19, 1975 – June 29, 2010 (Retired) |
35 years, 127 days | Gerald Ford |
102 | Sandra Day O'Connor (born 1930) |
AZ | Associate Justice |
Stewart | September 21, 1981 (99-0) |
September 25, 1981 – January 31, 2006 (Retired) |
24 years, 128 days | Ronald Reagan |
100 [i] |
William Rehnquist (1924–2005) |
VA | Chief Justice |
Burger | September 17, 1986 (65–33) |
September 26, 1986 – September 3, 2005 (Died) |
18 years, 342 days | |
103 | Antonin Scalia (1936–2016) |
VA | Associate Justice |
Rehnquist | September 17, 1986 (98-0) |
September 26, 1986 – February 13, 2016 (Died) |
29 years, 140 days | |
104 | Anthony Kennedy (born 1936) |
CA | Associate Justice |
Powell | February 3, 1988 (97-0) |
February 18, 1988 – Incumbent |
36 years, 199 days | |
105 | David Souter (born 1939) |
NH | Associate Justice |
Brennan | October 2, 1990 (90-9) |
October 9, 1990 – June 29, 2009 (Retired) |
18 years, 263 days | George H. W. Bush |
106 | Clarence Thomas (born 1948) |
GA | Associate Justice |
T. Marshall | October 15, 1991 (52-48) |
October 23, 1991 – Incumbent |
32 years, 317 days | |
107 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born 1933) |
NY | Associate Justice |
B. White | August 3, 1993 (96-3) |
August 10, 1993 – Incumbent |
31 years, 25 days | Bill Clinton |
108 | Stephen Breyer (born 1938) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Blackmun | July 29, 1994 (87-9) |
August 3, 1994 – Incumbent |
30 years, 32 days | |
109 | John Roberts (born 1955) |
MD | Chief Justice |
Rehnquist | September 29, 2005 (78–22) |
September 29, 2005 – Incumbent |
18 years, 341 days | George W. Bush |
110 | Samuel Alito (born 1950) |
NJ | Associate Justice |
O'Connor | January 31, 2006 (58-42) |
January 31, 2006 – Incumbent |
18 years, 217 days | |
111 | Sonia Sotomayor (born 1954) |
NY | Associate Justice |
Souter | August 6, 2009 (68-31) |
August 8, 2009 – Incumbent |
15 years, 27 days | Barack Obama |
112 | Elena Kagan (born 1960) |
MA | Associate Justice |
Stevens | August 5, 2010 (63-37) |
August 7, 2010 – Incumbent |
14 years, 28 days | |
Justice | State[a] | Position | Replacing | Date confirmed (Vote) |
Tenure | Tenure length | Appointed by |
Notes
- ^ a b State of residence at the time of appointment. For example, In 1971, Rehnquist was appointed from Arizona, but in 1986, when elevated to chief justice, he was appointed from Virginia.[14]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Recess appointment
- ^ Received recess appointment on August 5, 1791, but was not sworn in until August 6, 1792.
- ^ a b Served on the Supreme Court twice, first as associate justice and then, after a period of years off the Court, as chief justice, which is why this justice is listed twice.
- ^ This was the first Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by the Senate. Rutledge remains the only "recess appointed" justice not to be subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
- ^ Was impeached, but not convicted, and remained in office.
- ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, May 19 – July 11, 1921.
- ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, February 3–24, 1930.
- ^ a b c Elevated from associate justice to chief justice while serving on the Supreme Court. The nomination of a sitting associate justice to be chief justice is subject to a separate confirmation process, which is why this justice is listed twice.
- ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, June 30 – July 3, 1941.
- ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, April 22 – June 24, 1946, and again, under 62 Stat. 869, September 8 – October 5, 1953.
- ^ Acted as chief justice under 28 U.S.C. § 3, September 3–29, 2005.
Timelines
All justices
The graphic below is a timeline depicting the progression of the justices in the United States Supreme Court. Information regarding their seat number, predecessors, successors and fellow justices, as well as their tenure on the court can be gleaned from the timeline. Additionally, the progression of presidents (with the number of justices they nominated) is shown at the top of the timeline to give a more detailed historical context. Three presidents (Taft, F. Roosevelt, and Reagan), in addition to successfully nominating several justices to the court, elevated an associate justice to chief justice. These elevations are counted as nominations, and are designated with a caret(^). Several justices began their terms on the bench after the inauguration of a new president.
This graphical representation of the progression of the High Court allows some otherwise obscure information to be easily noted. For example, Joseph Story (in the early 19th century) and Stephen Breyer (in the late 20th and early 21st centuries) are each noteworthy for serving over 11 years as the court's most junior member. Samuel Blatchford (in the 1880s) served the third longest as the court's most junior member at less than 6 years. Thomas Johnson (1790s), Robert Trimble (1820s) and Arthur Goldberg (1960s) are the only justices to leave the court while still being the court's most junior member. William Rehnquist is unique in that he is the only justice to witness all of his more senior justices leave the court, without witnessing any of his more junior justices leave the court. Hugo Black, in addition to witnessing all eight of his predecessors leave the court, saw 22 new members appointed to the court (his predecessors' eight replacements and 14 others), meaning he worked beside a record thirty justices.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/mqm0jrx3sz4tttwe9z1dg2t192vwf6n.png)
Current justices
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/hram58zdnh95rpdpdd82xpbzxv88u5b.png)
See also
- Supreme Court of the United States
- List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by court composition
- List of law schools attended by United States Supreme Court Justices
- List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by seat
- List of United States Supreme Court Justices by time in office
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
- List of nominations to the Supreme Court of the United States
- Unsuccessful nominations to the Supreme Court of the United States
- Other
References
- ^ Stathis, Stephen W. (2014). Landmark Legislation 1774-2012: Major U.S. Acts and Treaties. CQ Press. p. 122.
- ^ 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.
{{cite book}}
: External link in
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Article III". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Mears, Bill (January 1, 2010). "Chief Justice Roberts has little to say at year's end". CNN. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Barnes, Robert (January 1, 2010). "Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts opts not to ask Congress to raise judicial salaries". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Rowley, James (January 13, 2014). "Federal Judges in U.S. See $25,000 More as Salary Freeze Falls". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
- ^ "Elena Kagan sworn in by Roberts to become 112th Supreme Court Justice". Los Angeles Times. August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ "About The Supreme Court". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Smith, Jean Edward (July 26, 2007). "Stacking the Court". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Rosen, Jeffrey (February 26, 2008). "Dems' Choices For Bench Surprisingly Slim". CBS News. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Senate: Supreme Court Nominations: 1789-Present". www.senate.gov. United States Senate. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "Timeline of the Justices". www.supremecourthistory.org. Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "Members of the Supreme Court of the United States". www.supremecourt.gov. United States Supreme Court. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
External links