List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States

The Roberts Court, 2010
Back row (left to right): Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, and Elena Kagan. Front row (left to right): Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States. Its membership consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. The 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[1] 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.[2][3][4] On August 7, 2010, Justice Elena Kagan became the 112th justice to serve on the Court.[5]

The Supreme Court was created in 1789 by Article III of the United States Constitution, which stipulates that the "judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court" together with any lower courts Congress may establish.[1] 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).[6][7]

Since the passage of the Judiciary Act, 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.[8] While the justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, some choose to retire: a total of 54 have retired or resigned. The average age of newly appointed justices is about 53 years old. 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.[9]

List of justices

The following lists all justices aside from Edwin Stanton, who died before taking office.

Legend

  † Chief justice 
* Recess appointment
  Currently serving justice 

# Judge State Born/Died Active service Chief Justice Retirement Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 James Wilson PA 1742–1798 1789–1798
(8–9 years)		 — — Washington Death
2 John Jay† NY 1745–1829 1789–1795
(5–6 years)		 1789–1795 — Washington Resignation
3 William Cushing MA 1732–1810 1789–1810
(20–21 years)		 — — Washington Death
4 John Blair, Jr. VA 1732–1800 1789–1795
(5–6 years)		 — — Washington Resignation
5 John Rutledge SC 1739–1800 1789–1791
(1–2 years)		 — — Washington Resignation[n 1]
6 James Iredell NC 1751–1799 1790–1799
(8–9 years)		 — — Washington Death
7 Thomas Johnson* MD 1732–1819 1792–1793
(0–1 years)		 — — Washington Resignation
8 William Paterson NJ 1745–1806 1793–1806
(12–13 years)		 — — Washington Death
5 John Rutledge*† SC 1739–1800 1795–1795
(-1–0 years)		 1795 — Washington Rejection
9 Samuel Chase MD 1741–1811 1796–1811
(14–15 years)		 — — Washington Death
10 Oliver Ellsworth† CT 1745–1807 1796–1800
(3–4 years)		 1796–1800 — Washington Resignation
11 Bushrod Washington VA 1762–1829 1798–1829
(30–31 years)		 — — Adams, J. Death
12 Alfred Moore NC 1755–1810 1800–1804
(3–4 years)		 — — Adams, J. Resignation
13 John Marshall† VA 1755–1835 1801–1835
(33–34 years)		 1801–1835 — Adams, J. Death
14 William Johnson SC 1771–1834 1804–1834
(29–30 years)		 — — Jefferson Death
15 Henry Brockholst Livingston NY 1757–1823 1807–1823
(15–16 years)		 — — Jefferson Death
16 Thomas Todd KY 1765–1826 1807–1826
(18–19 years)		 — — Jefferson Death
17 Gabriel Duvall MD 1752–1844 1811–1835
(23–24 years)		 — — Madison Resignation
18 Joseph Story MA 1779–1845 1812–1845
(32–33 years)		 — — Madison Death
19 Smith Thompson* NY 1768–1843 1823–1843
(19–20 years)		 — — Monroe Death
20 Robert Trimble KY 1776–1828 1826–1828
(1–2 years)		 — — Adams, J. Q. Death
21 John McLean OH 1785–1861 1830–1861
(30–31 years)		 — — Jackson Death
22 Henry Baldwin PA 1780–1844 1830–1844
(13–14 years)		 — — Jackson Death
23 James Moore Wayne GA 1790–1867 1835–1867
(31–32 years)		 — — Jackson Death
24 Roger B. Taney† MD 1777–1864 1836–1864
(27–28 years)		 1836–1864 — Jackson Death
25 Philip Pendleton Barbour VA 1783–1841 1836–1841
(4–5 years)		 — — Jackson Death
26 John Catron TN 1786–1865 1837–1865
(27–28 years)		 — — Jackson Death
27 John McKinley AL 1780–1852 1837–1852
(14–15 years)		 — — Van Buren Death
28 Peter Vivian Daniel VA 1784–1860 1842–1860
(17–18 years)		 — — Van Buren Death
29 Samuel Nelson NY 1792–1873 1845–1872
(26–27 years)		 — — Tyler Retirement
30 Levi Woodbury* NH 1789–1851 1845–1851
(5–6 years)		 — — Polk Death
31 Robert Cooper Grier PA 1794–1870 1846–1870
(23–24 years)		 — — Polk Retirement
32 Benjamin Robbins Curtis* MA 1809–1874 1851–1857
(5–6 years)		 — — Fillmore Resignation
33 John Archibald Campbell AL 1811–1889 1853–1861
(7–8 years)		 — — Pierce Resignation
34 Nathan Clifford ME 1803–1881 1858–1881
(22–23 years)		 — — Buchanan Death
35 Noah Haynes Swayne OH 1804–1884 1862–1881
(18–19 years)		 — — Lincoln Retirement
36 Samuel Freeman Miller IA 1816–1890 1862–1890
(27–28 years)		 — — Lincoln Death
37 David Davis* IL 1815–1886 1862–1877
(14–15 years)		 — — Lincoln Resignation
38 Stephen Johnson Field CA 1816–1899 1863–1897
(33–34 years)		 — — Lincoln Retirement
39 Salmon P. Chase† OH 1808–1873 1864–1873
(8–9 years)		 1864–1873 — Lincoln Death
40 William Strong PA 1808–1895 1870–1880
(9–10 years)		 — — Grant Retirement
41 Joseph P. Bradley NJ 1813–1892 1870–1892
(21–22 years)		 — — Grant Death
42 Ward Hunt NY 1810–1886 1873–1882
(8–9 years)		 — — Grant Retirement
43 Morrison Waite† OH 1816–1888 1874–1888
(13–14 years)		 1874–1888 — Grant Death
44 John Marshall Harlan KY 1833–1911 1877–1911
(33–34 years)		 — — Hayes Death
45 William Burnham Woods AL 1824–1887 1881–1887
(5–6 years)		 — — Hayes Death
46 Stanley Matthews OH 1824–1889 1881–1889
(7–8 years)		 — — Garfield Death
47 Horace Gray MA 1828–1902 1882–1902
(19–20 years)		 — — Arthur Death
48 Samuel Blatchford NY 1820–1893 1882–1893
(10–11 years)		 — — Arthur Death
49 Lucius Quintus
Cincinnatus Lamar		 MS 1825–1893 1888–1893
(4–5 years)		 — — Cleveland Death
50 Melville Fuller† IL 1833–1910 1888–1910
(21–22 years)		 1888–1910 — Cleveland Death
51 David Josiah Brewer KS 1837–1910 1890–1910
(19–20 years)		 — — Harrison, B. Death
52 Henry Billings Brown MI 1836–1913 1891–1906
(14–15 years)		 — — Harrison, B. Retirement
53 George Shiras, Jr. PA 1832–1924 1892–1903
(10–11 years)		 — — Harrison, B. Retirement
54 Howell Edmunds Jackson TN 1832–1895 1893–1895
(1–2 years)		 — — Harrison, B. Death
55 Edward Douglass White† LA 1845–1921 1894–1921
(26–27 years)		 1910–1921 — Cleveland (associate)
Taft (chief)[n 2]		 Death
56 Rufus Wheeler Peckham NY 1838–1909 1896–1909
(12–13 years)		 — — Cleveland Death
57 Joseph McKenna CA 1843–1926 1898–1925
(26–27 years)		 1921 (acting)[n 3] — McKinley Retirement
58 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. MA 1841–1935 1902–1932
(29–30 years)		 1930 (acting)[n 4] — Roosevelt, T. Retirement
59 William R. Day OH 1849–1923 1903–1922
(18–19 years)		 — — Roosevelt, T. Retirement
60 William Henry Moody MA 1853–1917 1906–1910
(3–4 years)		 — — Roosevelt, T. Retirement[n 5]
61 Horace Harmon Lurton TN 1844–1914 1910–1914
(3–4 years)		 — — Taft Death
62 Charles Evans Hughes NY 1862–1948 1910–1916
(5–6 years)		 — — Taft Resignation[n 1]
63 Willis Van Devanter WY 1859–1941 1911–1937
(25–26 years)		 — 1937–1941
(3–4 years)		 Taft Retirement
64 Joseph Rucker Lamar GA 1857–1916 1911–1916
(4–5 years)		 — — Taft Death
65 Mahlon Pitney NJ 1858–1924 1912–1922
(9–10 years)		 — — Taft Resignation
66 James Clark McReynolds TN 1862–1946 1914–1941
(26–27 years)		 — 1941–1946
(4–5 years)		 Wilson Retirement[n 6]
67 Louis Brandeis MA 1856–1941 1916–1939
(22–23 years)		 — 1939–1941
(1–2 years)		 Wilson Retirement[n 6]
68 John Hessin Clarke OH 1857–1945 1916–1922
(5–6 years)		 — — Wilson Resignation
69 William Howard Taft† OH 1857–1930 1921–1930
(8–9 years)		 1921–1930 — Harding Resignation[n 7]
70 George Sutherland UT 1862–1942 1922–1938
(15–16 years)		 — 1938–1942
(3–4 years)		 Harding Retirement[n 6]
71 Pierce Butler MN 1866–1939 1923–1939
(15–16 years)		 — — Harding Death
72 Edward Terry Sanford TN 1865–1930 1923–1930
(6–7 years)		 — — Harding Death
73 Harlan F. Stone† NY 1872–1946 1925–1946
(20–21 years)		 1941–1946[n 8] — Coolidge (associate)
Roosevelt, F. (chief)[n 2]		 Death
62 Charles Evans Hughes† NY 1862–1948 1930–1941
(10–11 years)		 1930–1941 — Hoover Retirement
74 Owen Roberts PA 1875–1955 1930–1945
(14–15 years)		 — — Hoover Resignation
75 Benjamin N. Cardozo NY 1870–1938 1932–1938
(5–6 years)		 — — Hoover Death
76 Hugo Black AL 1886–1971 1937–1971
(33–34 years)		 1946 (acting)
1953 (acting)[n 9][n 10]		 1971–1971
(-1–0 years)		 Roosevelt, F. Retirement[n 6]
77 Stanley Forman Reed KY 1884–1980 1938–1957
(18–19 years)		 — 1957–1980
(22–23 years)		 Roosevelt, F. Retirement[n 6]
78 Felix Frankfurter MA 1882–1965 1939–1962
(22–23 years)		 — 1962–1965
(2–3 years)		 Roosevelt, F. Retirement[n 6]
79 William O. Douglas CT 1898–1980 1939–1975
(35–36 years)		 — 1975–1980
(4–5 years)		 Roosevelt, F. Retirement[n 6]
80 Frank Murphy MI 1890–1949 1940–1949
(8–9 years)		 — — Roosevelt, F. Death
81 James F. Byrnes SC 1882–1972 1941–1942
(0–1 years)		 — — Roosevelt, F. Resignation
82 Robert H. Jackson NY 1892–1954 1941–1954
(12–13 years)		 — — Roosevelt, F. Death
83 Wiley Blount Rutledge IA 1894–1949 1943–1949
(5–6 years)		 — — Roosevelt, F. Death
84 Harold Hitz Burton OH 1888–1964 1945–1958
(12–13 years)		 — 1958–1964
(5–6 years)		 Truman Retirement[n 6]
85 Fred M. Vinson† KY 1890–1953 1946–1953
(6–7 years)		 1946–1953 — Truman Death
86 Tom C. Clark TX 1899–1977 1949–1967
(17–18 years)		 — 1967–1977
(9–10 years)		 Truman Retirement[n 6]
87 Sherman Minton IN 1890–1965 1949–1956
(6–7 years)		 — 1956–1965
(8–9 years)		 Truman Retirement[n 6]
88 Earl Warren*† CA 1891–1974 1953–1969
(15–16 years)		 1953–1969 1969–1974
(4–5 years)		 Eisenhower Retirement[n 6]
89 John Marshall Harlan II NY 1899–1971 1955–1971
(15–16 years)		 — 1971–1971
(-1–0 years)		 Eisenhower Retirement[n 6]
90 William J. Brennan, Jr.* NJ 1906–1997 1956–1990
(33–34 years)		 — 1990–1997
(6–7 years)		 Eisenhower Retirement[n 6]
91 Charles Evans Whittaker MO 1901–1973 1957–1962
(4–5 years)		 — 1962–1965
(2–3 years)		 Eisenhower Resignation
92 Potter Stewart* OH 1915–1985 1958–1981
(22–23 years)		 — 1981–1985
(3–4 years)		 Eisenhower Retirement
93 Byron White CO 1917–2002 1962–1993
(30–31 years)		 — 1993–2002
(8–9 years)		 Kennedy Retirement[n 6]
94 Arthur Goldberg IL 1908–1990 1962–1965
(2–3 years)		 — — Kennedy Resignation
95 Abe Fortas TN 1910–1982 1965–1969
(3–4 years)		 — — Johnson, L. Resignation
96 Thurgood Marshall NY 1908–1993 1967–1991
(23–24 years)		 — 1991–1993
(1–2 years)		 Johnson, L. Retirement[n 6]
97 Warren E. Burger† VA 1907–1995 1969–1986
(16–17 years)		 1969–1986 1986–1995
(8–9 years)		 Nixon Retirement[n 6]
98 Harry Blackmun MN 1908–1999 1970–1994
(23–24 years)		 — 1994–1999
(4–5 years)		 Nixon Retirement[n 6]
99 Lewis F. Powell, Jr. VA 1907–1998 1972–1987
(14–15 years)		 — 1987–1998
(10–11 years)		 Nixon Retirement[n 6]
100 William Rehnquist† AZ
VA[n 11]		 1924–2005 1972–2005
(32–33 years)		 1986–2005 — Nixon (associate)
Reagan (chief)[n 2]		 Death
101 John Paul Stevens IL 1920– 1975–2010
(34–35 years)		 2005 (acting)[n 12] 2010–present
(4–5 years)		 Ford Retirement
102 Sandra Day O'Connor AZ 1930– 1981–2006
(24–25 years)		 — 2006–present
(8–9 years)		 Reagan Retirement
103 Antonin Scalia VA 1936– 1986–present
(28–29 years)		 — — Reagan Currently serving
104 Anthony Kennedy CA 1936– 1988–present
(26–27 years)		 — — Reagan Currently serving
105 David Souter NH 1939– 1990–2009
(18–19 years)		 — 2009–present
(5–6 years)		 Bush, G. H. W. Retirement
106 Clarence Thomas GA 1948– 1991–present
(23–24 years)		 — — Bush, G. H. W. Currently serving
107 Ruth Bader Ginsburg NY 1933– 1993–present
(21–22 years)		 — — Clinton Currently serving
108 Stephen Breyer MA 1938– 1994–present
(20–21 years)		 — — Clinton Currently serving
109 John G. Roberts† MD 1955– 2005–present
(9–10 years)		 2005–present — Bush, G. W. Currently serving
110 Samuel Alito NJ 1950– 2006–present
(8–9 years)		 — — Bush, G. W. Currently serving
111 Sonia Sotomayor NY 1954– 2009–present
(5–6 years)		 — — Obama Currently serving
112 Elena Kagan MA 1960– 2010–present
(4–5 years)		 — — Obama Currently serving

Graphic timeline

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 fourteen more junior members replaced on the court, meaning he worked beside a record thirty justices.

Elena Kagan Sonia Sotomayor Samuel Alito Stephen Breyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg Clarence Thomas David Souter Anthony Kennedy Antonin Scalia Sandra Day O'Connor John Paul Stevens William Rehnquist Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Harry Blackmun Warren E. Burger Thurgood Marshall Abe Fortas Arthur Goldberg Byron White Potter Stewart Charles Evans Whittaker William J. Brennan, Jr. John Marshall Harlan II Earl Warren Sherman Minton Tom C. Clark Fred M. Vinson Harold Hitz Burton Wiley Blount Rutledge Robert H. Jackson James F. Byrnes Frank Murphy William O. Douglas Felix Frankfurter Stanley Forman Reed Hugo Black Benjamin N. Cardozo Edward Terry Sanford Pierce Butler (justice) George Sutherland William Howard Taft John Hessin Clarke Louis Brandeis James Clark McReynolds Mahlon Pitney Joseph Rucker Lamar Willis Van Devanter Charles Evans Hughes Horace Harmon Lurton William Henry Moody William R. Day Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Joseph McKenna Rufus Wheeler Peckham Edward Douglass White Howell Edmunds Jackson George Shiras, Jr. Henry Billings Brown David Josiah Brewer Samuel Blatchford Horace Gray William Burnham Woods John Marshall Harlan Ward Hunt William Strong Stephen Johnson Field David Davis Samuel Freeman Miller Noah Haynes Swayne Nathan Clifford John Archibald Campbell Benjamin Robbins Curtis Robert Cooper Grier Levi Woodbury Samuel Nelson Peter Vivian Daniel John McKinley John Catron Philip Pendleton Barbour James Moore Wayne Henry Baldwin John McLean Robert Trimble Smith Thompson Joseph Story Gabriel Duvall Thomas Todd Henry Brockholst Livingston William Johnson (judge) John Marshall Alfred Moore Bushrod Washington Oliver Ellsworth Samuel Chase William Paterson (judge) James Iredell John Rutledge William Cushing James Wilson

See also

Supreme Court of the United States
Other

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Was later reappointed as chief justice
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 This individual was elevated from associate justice to chief justice. Unlike the inferior courts, the chief justice is separately nominated and subject to a separate confirmation process, regardless of whether or not he or she is already an associate justice.
  3. ↑ Under 36 Stat. 1152, McKenna acted as chief justice from White's death on May 19, 1921 until Taft took office on July 11, 1921.
  4. ↑ Under 36 Stat. 1152, Holmes acted as chief justice from Taft's departure on February 3, 1930 until Hughes took office on February 24, 1930.
  5. ↑ There is some disagreement on how Moody exited office. According to the Federal Judicial Center, Moody resigned. According to the Supreme Court Historical Society, Moody retired. It turns out that the confusion comes from the fact that Moody was allowed to retire by special act of Congress in 1910 due to prolonged ill health. (Moody did not meet the minimum age and service requirements to retire without this waiver.)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 Beginning in the 20th century, many justices who left the Court voluntarily did so by retiring as Supreme Court justices without leaving the federal judiciary altogether. Some databases refer to this as an election by the justice of senior status, although the term "senior status" is used almost exclusively with regard to judges of lower federal courts, not the Supreme Court. A "retired justice", as the status is referred to in the United States Code, is no longer a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, 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 indeed served in these capacities). However, because the justice ceases to be a member of the Supreme Court as of the moment of retirement, the reason for these justices' leaving the Supreme Court is given as "retirement", although the reason for the justice's later leaving the federal judiciary altogether might be a subsequent act of (full) retirement or the justice's death.
  7. ↑ There is some disagreement on how William Howard Taft exited office. According to some sources, such as the Supreme Court Historical Society, Taft retired. According to others, such as the Federal Judicial Center, Taft resigned.
  8. ↑ Under 36 Stat. 1152, Stone acted as chief justice from Hughes's retirement on June 30, 1941 until Stone took the oath of office as chief justice three days later.
  9. ↑ Under 36 Stat. 1152, Black acted as chief justice from Stone's death on April 22, 1946 until Vinson took office on June 24, 1946.
  10. ↑ Under 62 Stat. 869, Black acted as chief justice from Vinson's death on September 8, 1953, until Warren took office on October 5, 1953. The Supreme Court was not in session during this brief period.
  11. ↑ In 1971, Rehnquist was appointed from Arizona,[10] but in 1986, when elevated to chief justice, he was appointed from Virginia.[11]
  12. ↑ Under 28 U.S.C. § 3, Stevens acted as chief justice from Rehnquist's death on September 3, 2005 until Roberts took office on September 29, 2005. The Supreme Court was not in session during this brief period.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Article III". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  2. ↑ Mears, Bill (January 1, 2010). "Chief Justice Roberts has little to say at year's end". CNN. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Rowley, James (January 13, 2014). "Federal Judges in U.S. See $25,000 More as Salary Freeze Falls". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Elena Kagan sworn in by Roberts to become 112th Supreme Court Justice". Los Angeles Times. August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  6. ↑ "About The Supreme Court". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  8. ↑ Smith, Jean Edward (July 26, 2007). "Stacking the Court". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  9. ↑ Rosen, Jeffrey (February 26, 2008). "Dems' Choices For Bench Surprisingly Slim". CBS News. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  10. ↑ United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary (1971). Nominations of William H. Rehnquist and Lewis F. Powell, Jr: Hearings, Ninety-second Congress, first session, on nominations of William H. Rehnquist, of Arizona, and Lewis F. Powell, Jr., of Virginia, to be Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  11. ↑ "Executive Session" (PDF). Congressional Record. September 17, 1986. p. 23803.