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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 constitute a quorum.[1][2] Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution grants plenary power to the president of the United States to nominate, and with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, appoint justices to the Supreme Court; justices have life tenure.[3]

Background

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The Supreme Court was created 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,"[4] and was organized by the 1st United States Congress. Through the Judiciary Act of 1789, Congress 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).[5][6]

Since 1789, Congress has occasionally altered the size of the Supreme Court, historically in response to the country's own expansion in size. An 1801 act would have decreased the Court's size to five members upon its next vacancy. However, an 1802 act negated the effects of the 1801 act upon the Court before any such vacancy occurred, maintaining the Court's size at six members. Later legislation increased its size to seven members in 1807, to nine in 1837, and to ten in 1863. An 1866 act was to have reduced the Court's size from ten members to seven upon its next three vacancies, and two vacancies did occur during this period. However, before a third vacancy occurred, the Judiciary Act of 1869 intervened, restoring the Court's size to nine members, where it has remained ever since.[7]

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.[8]

List of justices

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Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 116 people have served on the Court. The length of service on the Court for the 107 non-incumbent justices ranges from William O. Douglas's 36 years, 209 days to John Rutledge's 1 year, 18 days as associate justice and, separated by a period of years off the Court, his 138 days as chief justice. As of November 21, 2024, the length of service for the nine incumbent justices ranges from Clarence Thomas's 33 years, 29 days to Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2 years, 144 days. Five individuals, who were confirmed for associate justice, were later appointed chief justice separately: John Rutledge,[a] Edward Douglass White,[b] Charles Evans Hughes,[a] Harlan F. Stone[b] and William Rehnquist.[b] While listed twice, each of them has been assigned only one index number. The justices of the Supreme Court are:[9][10]

Justice State[c] Position Succeeded Date confirmed
(Vote)
Tenure Tenure length[d] Nominated by
1 John Jay
(1745–1829)
NY Chief
Justice
Inaugural September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
October 19, 1789

June 29, 1795
(Resigned)
5 years, 253 days George Washington
2 John Rutledge
(1739–1800)
SC Associate
Justice
Inaugural September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 15, 1790[e]

March 5, 1791
(Resigned)
1 year, 18 days
3 William Cushing
(1732–1810)
MA Associate
Justice
Inaugural September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 2, 1790[e]

September 13, 1810
(Died)
20 years, 223 days
4 James Wilson
(1742–1798)
PA Associate
Justice
Inaugural September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
October 5, 1789[e]

August 21, 1798
(Died)
8 years, 320 days
5 John Blair
(1732–1800)
VA Associate
Justice
Inaugural September 26, 1789
(Acclamation)
February 2, 1790[e]

October 25, 1795
(Resigned)
5 years, 265 days
6 James Iredell
(1751–1799)
NC Associate
Justice
Inaugural 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)
September 19, 1791[f]

January 16, 1793
(Resigned)
1 year, 119 days
8 William Paterson
(1745–1806)
NJ Associate
Justice
T. Johnson March 4, 1793
(Acclamation)
March 11, 1793

September 9, 1806
(Died)
13 years, 181 days
2 John Rutledge
(1739–1800)
SC Chief
Justice
Jay December 15, 1795
(10–14)[g]
August 12, 1795[f]

December 15, 1795
(Resigned, nomination having been rejected)
138 days
9 Samuel Chase[h]
(1741–1811)
MD Associate
Justice
Blair January 27, 1796
(Acclamation)
February 4, 1796

June 19, 1811
(Died)
15 years, 135 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)
November 9, 1798[f]

November 26, 1829
(Died)
31 years, 17 days John Adams
12 Alfred Moore
(1755–1810)
NC Associate
Justice
Iredell December 9, 1799
(Acclamation)
April 21, 1800

January 26, 1804
(Resigned)
3 years, 280 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[f]

March 18, 1823
(Died)
16 years, 57 days
16 Thomas Todd
(1765–1826)
KY Associate
Justice
new seat March 2, 1807
(Acclamation)
May 4, 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 14, 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[f]

December 18, 1843
(Died)
20 years, 108 days James Monroe
20 Robert Trimble
(1776–1828)
KY Associate
Justice
Todd May 9, 1826
(25–5)
June 16, 1826

August 25, 1828
(Died)
2 years, 70 days John Quincy Adams
21 John McLean
(1785–1861)
OH Associate
Justice
Trimble March 7, 1829
(Acclamation)
March 12, 1829

April 4, 1861
(Died)
32 years, 23 days Andrew Jackson
22 Henry Baldwin
(1780–1844)
PA Associate
Justice
Washington January 6, 1830
(41–2)
January 18, 1830

April 21, 1844
(Died)
14 years, 94 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 P. Barbour
(1783–1841)
VA Associate
Justice
Duvall March 15, 1836
(30–11)
May 12, 1836

February 25, 1841
(Died)
4 years, 289 days
26 John Catron
(1786–1865)
TN Associate
Justice
new seat March 8, 1837
(28–15)
May 1, 1837

May 30, 1865
(Died)
28 years, 29 days
27 John McKinley
(1780–1852)
AL Associate
Justice
new seat September 25, 1837
(Acclamation)
January 9, 1838[f]

July 19, 1852
(Died)
14 years, 192 days Martin Van Buren
28 Peter Vivian Daniel
(1784–1860)
VA Associate
Justice
Barbour March 2, 1841
(25–5)
January 10, 1842

May 31, 1860
(Died)
18 years, 142 days
29 Samuel Nelson
(1792–1873)
NY Associate
Justice
Thompson February 14, 1845
(Acclamation)
February 27, 1845

November 28, 1872
(Retired)
27 years, 275 days John Tyler
30 Levi Woodbury
(1789–1851)
NH Associate
Justice
Story January 31, 1846
(Acclamation)
September 23, 1845[f]

September 4, 1851
(Died)
5 years, 346 days James K. Polk
31 Robert Cooper Grier
(1794–1870)
PA Associate
Justice
Baldwin August 4, 1846
(Acclamation)
August 10, 1846

January 31, 1870
(Retired)
23 years, 174 days
32 Benjamin Robbins Curtis
(1809–1874)
MA Associate
Justice
Woodbury December 20, 1851
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1851[f]

September 30, 1857
(Resigned)
5 years, 355 days Millard Fillmore
33 John Archibald Campbell
(1811–1889)
AL Associate
Justice
McKinley March 22, 1853
(Acclamation)
April 11, 1853

April 30, 1861
(Resigned)
8 years, 19 days Franklin Pierce
34 Nathan Clifford
(1803–1881)
ME Associate
Justice
Curtis January 12, 1858
(26–23)
January 21, 1858

July 25, 1881
(Died)
23 years, 185 days James Buchanan
35 Noah Haynes Swayne
(1804–1884)
OH Associate
Justice
McLean January 24, 1862
(38–1)
January 27, 1862

January 24, 1881
(Retired)
18 years, 363 days Abraham Lincoln
36 Samuel Freeman Miller
(1816–1890)
IA Associate
Justice
Daniel July 16, 1862
(Acclamation)
July 21, 1862

October 13, 1890
(Died)
28 years, 84 days
37 David Davis
(1815–1886)
IL Associate
Justice
Campbell December 8, 1862
(Acclamation)
December 10, 1862[f]

March 4, 1877
(Resigned)
14 years, 84 days
38 Stephen Johnson Field
(1816–1899)
CA Associate
Justice
new seat March 10, 1863
(Acclamation)
May 20, 1863

December 1, 1897
(Retired)
34 years, 195 days
39 Salmon P. Chase
(1808–1873)
OH Chief
Justice
Taney December 6, 1864
(Acclamation)
December 15, 1864

May 7, 1873
(Died)
8 years, 143 days
40 William Strong
(1808–1895)
PA Associate
Justice
Grier February 18, 1870
(No vote recorded)
March 14, 1870

December 14, 1880
(Retired)
10 years, 275 days Ulysses S. Grant
41 Joseph P. Bradley
(1813–1892)
NJ Associate
Justice
new seat March 21, 1870
(46–9)
March 23, 1870

January 22, 1892
(Died)
21 years, 305 days
42 Ward Hunt
(1810–1886)
NY Associate
Justice
Nelson December 11, 1872
(Acclamation)
January 9, 1873

January 27, 1882
(Retired)
9 years, 18 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)
December 10, 1877

October 14, 1911
(Died)
33 years, 308 days Rutherford B. Hayes
45 William Burnham Woods
(1824–1887)
GA Associate
Justice
Strong December 21, 1880
(39–8)
January 5, 1881

May 14, 1887
(Died)
6 years, 129 days
46 Stanley Matthews
(1824–1889)
OH Associate
Justice
Swayne May 12, 1881
(24–23)
May 17, 1881

March 22, 1889
(Died)
7 years, 309 days James A. Garfield
47 Horace Gray
(1828–1902)
MA Associate
Justice
Clifford December 20, 1881
(51–5)
January 9, 1882

September 15, 1902
(Died)
20 years, 249 days Chester A. Arthur
48 Samuel Blatchford
(1820–1893)
NY Associate
Justice
Hunt March 22, 1882
(Acclamation)
April 3, 1882

July 7, 1893
(Died)
11 years, 95 days
49 Lucius Quintus
Cincinnatus Lamar

(1825–1893)
MS Associate
Justice
Woods January 16, 1888
(32–28)
January 18, 1888

January 23, 1893
(Died)
5 years, 5 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 J. Brewer
(1837–1910)
KS Associate
Justice
Matthews December 18, 1889
(53–11)
January 6, 1890

March 28, 1910
(Died)
20 years, 81 days Benjamin Harrison
52 Henry Billings Brown
(1836–1913)
MI Associate
Justice
Miller December 29, 1890
(Acclamation)
January 5, 1891

May 28, 1906
(Retired)
15 years, 143 days
53 George Shiras Jr.
(1832–1924)
PA Associate
Justice
Bradley July 26, 1892
(Acclamation)
October 10, 1892

February 23, 1903
(Retired)
10 years, 136 days
54 Howell Edmunds Jackson
(1832–1895)
TN Associate
Justice
L. Lamar February 18, 1893
(Acclamation)
March 4, 1893

August 8, 1895
(Died)
2 years, 157 days
55 Edward Douglass White
(1845–1921)
LA Associate
Justice
Blatchford February 19, 1894
(Acclamation)
March 12, 1894

December 18, 1910
(Continued as chief justice)
16 years, 281 days Grover Cleveland
56 Rufus W. Peckham
(1838–1909)
NY Associate
Justice
H. Jackson December 9, 1895
(Acclamation)
January 6, 1896

October 24, 1909
(Died)
13 years, 291 days
57 Joseph McKenna
(1843–1926)
CA Associate
Justice
[i]
Field January 21, 1898
(Acclamation)
January 26, 1898

January 5, 1925
(Retired)
26 years, 345 days William McKinley
58 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
(1841–1935)
MA Associate
Justice
[j]
Gray December 4, 1902
(Acclamation)
December 8, 1902

January 12, 1932
(Retired)
29 years, 35 days Theodore Roosevelt
59 William R. Day
(1849–1923)
OH Associate
Justice
Shiras February 23, 1903
(Acclamation)
March 2, 1903

November 13, 1922
(Retired)
19 years, 256 days
60 William Henry Moody
(1853–1917)
MA Associate
Justice
Brown December 12, 1906
(Acclamation)
December 17, 1906

November 20, 1910
(Retired)
3 years, 338 days
61 Horace Harmon Lurton
(1844–1914)
TN Associate
Justice
Peckham December 20, 1909
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1910

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 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)
January 3, 1911[k]

June 2, 1937
(Retired)
26 years, 150 days
64 Joseph Rucker Lamar
(1857–1916)
GA Associate
Justice
Moody December 15, 1910
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1911[k]

January 2, 1916
(Died)
4 years, 364 days
65 Mahlon Pitney
(1858–1924)
NJ Associate
Justice
J. Harlan March 13, 1912
(50–26)
March 18, 1912

December 31, 1922
(Resigned)
10 years, 288 days
66 James Clark McReynolds
(1862–1946)
TN Associate
Justice
Lurton August 29, 1914
(44–6)
October 12, 1914

January 31, 1941
(Retired)
26 years, 111 days Woodrow Wilson
67 Louis Brandeis
(1856–1941)
MA Associate
Justice
J. Lamar June 1, 1916
(47–22)
June 5, 1916

February 13, 1939
(Retired)
22 years, 253 days
68 John Hessin Clarke
(1857–1945)
OH Associate
Justice
Hughes July 24, 1916
(Acclamation)
October 9, 1916

September 18, 1922
(Retired)
5 years, 344 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)
October 2, 1922

January 17, 1938
(Retired)
15 years, 107 days
71 Pierce Butler
(1866–1939)
MN Associate
Justice
Day December 21, 1922
(61–8)
January 2, 1923

November 16, 1939
(Died)
16 years, 318 days
72 Edward Terry Sanford
(1865–1930)
TN Associate
Justice
Pitney January 29, 1923
(Acclamation)
February 19, 1923

March 8, 1930
(Died)
7 years, 17 days
73 Harlan F. Stone
(1872–1946)
NY Associate
Justice
[l]
McKenna February 5, 1925
(71–6)
March 2, 1925

July 2, 1941
(Continued as chief justice)
16 years, 122 days Calvin Coolidge
62 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 Roberts
(1875–1955)
PA Associate
Justice
Sanford May 20, 1930
(Acclamation)
June 2, 1930

July 31, 1945
(Resigned)
15 years, 59 days
75 Benjamin N. Cardozo
(1870–1938)
NY Associate
Justice
Holmes February 24, 1932
(Acclamation)
March 14, 1932

July 9, 1938
(Died)
6 years, 117 days
76 Hugo Black
(1886–1971)
AL Associate
Justice
[m]
Van Devanter August 17, 1937
(63–16)
August 19, 1937

September 17, 1971
(Retired)
34 years, 29 days Franklin D. Roosevelt
77 Stanley Forman Reed
(1884–1980)
KY Associate
Justice
Sutherland January 25, 1938
(Acclamation)
January 31, 1938

February 25, 1957
(Retired)
19 years, 25 days
78 Felix Frankfurter
(1882–1965)
MA Associate
Justice
Cardozo January 17, 1939
(Acclamation)
January 30, 1939

August 28, 1962
(Retired)
23 years, 210 days
79 William O. Douglas
(1898–1980)
CT Associate
Justice
Brandeis April 4, 1939
(62–4)
April 17, 1939

November 12, 1975
(Retired)
36 years, 209 days
80 Frank Murphy
(1890–1949)
MI Associate
Justice
Butler January 16, 1940
(Acclamation)
February 5, 1940

July 19, 1949
(Died)
9 years, 164 days
73 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 15, 1943

September 10, 1949
(Died)
6 years, 207 days
84 Harold Hitz Burton
(1888–1964)
OH Associate
Justice
O. Roberts September 19, 1945
(Acclamation)
October 1, 1945

October 13, 1958
(Retired)
13 years, 12 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 24, 1949

June 12, 1967
(Retired)
17 years, 292 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
(Acclamation)
October 5, 1953[f]

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 28, 1955

September 23, 1971
(Retired)
16 years, 179 days
90 William J. Brennan Jr.
(1906–1997)
NJ Associate
Justice
Minton March 19, 1957
(Acclamation)
October 16, 1956[f]

July 20, 1990
(Retired)
33 years, 277 days
91 Charles Evans Whittaker
(1901–1973)
MO Associate
Justice
Reed March 19, 1957
(Acclamation)
March 25, 1957

March 31, 1962
(Retired)
5 years, 6 days
92 Potter Stewart
(1915–1985)
OH Associate
Justice
Burton May 5, 1959
(70–17)
October 14, 1958[f]

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)
October 1, 1962

July 25, 1965
(Resigned)
2 years, 297 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 F. Powell Jr.
(1907–1998)
VA Associate
Justice
Black December 6, 1971
(89–1)
January 7, 1972[n]

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[n]

September 26, 1986
(Continued as chief justice)
14 years, 262 days
101 John Paul Stevens
(1920–2019)
IL Associate
Justice
[o]
Douglas December 17, 1975
(98–0)
December 19, 1975

June 29, 2010
(Retired)
34 years, 192 days Gerald Ford
102 Sandra Day O'Connor
(1930–2023)
AZ Associate
Justice
Stewart September 21, 1981
(99–0)
September 25, 1981

January 31, 2006
(Retired)
24 years, 128 days Ronald Reagan
100 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

July 31, 2018
(Retired)
30 years, 163 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
33 years, 29 days
107 Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(1933–2020)
NY Associate
Justice
B. White August 3, 1993
(96–3)
August 10, 1993

September 18, 2020
(Died)
27 years, 39 days Bill Clinton
108 Stephen Breyer
(born 1938)
MA Associate
Justice
Blackmun July 29, 1994
(87–9)
August 3, 1994

June 30, 2022
(Retired)
27 years, 331 days
109 John Roberts
(born 1955)
MD Chief
Justice
Rehnquist September 29, 2005
(78–22)
September 29, 2005

Incumbent
19 years, 53 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, 295 days
111 Sonia Sotomayor
(born 1954)
NY Associate
Justice
Souter August 6, 2009
(68–31)
August 8, 2009

Incumbent
15 years, 105 days Barack Obama
112 Elena Kagan
(born 1960)
MA Associate
Justice
Stevens August 5, 2010
(63–37)
August 7, 2010

Incumbent
14 years, 106 days
113 Neil Gorsuch
(born 1967)
CO Associate
Justice
Scalia April 7, 2017
(54–45)
April 10, 2017

Incumbent
7 years, 225 days Donald Trump
114 Brett Kavanaugh
(born 1965)
MD Associate
Justice
Kennedy October 6, 2018
(50–48)
October 6, 2018

Incumbent
6 years, 46 days
115 Amy Coney Barrett
(born 1972)
IN Associate
Justice
Ginsburg October 26, 2020
(52–48)
October 27, 2020

Incumbent
4 years, 25 days
116 Ketanji Brown Jackson
(born 1970)
DC Associate
Justice
Breyer April 7, 2022
(53–47)
June 30, 2022

Incumbent
2 years, 144 days Joe Biden
Justice State[c] Position Replacing Date confirmed
(Vote)
Tenure Tenure length Nominated by

Notes

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c Elevated from associate justice to chief justice while serving on the Supreme Court. Such appointments are subject to a separate confirmation process.
  3. ^ a b State or federal district 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.[10]
  4. ^ The start date given for each justice is the day they took the prescribed judicial oath of office, with the end date being the date of the justice's death, resignation, or retirement.[10]
  5. ^ a b c d While Justice Wilson was the first to take the oath of office, § 1 of the Judiciary Act of 1789 prescribes precedence of the associate justices by the dates their judicial commissions bear. This rule of precedence exists to this day, codified at Title 28, U.S. Code § 4. The commissions of the first four associate justices bear the following dates: Rutledge, Sept. 26, 1789; Cushing, Sept. 27; Wilson, Sept. 29; and Blair, Sept. 30.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Was impeached, but not convicted, and remained in office.
  9. ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, May 19 – July 11, 1921.
  10. ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, February 3–24, 1930.
  11. ^ a b While Willis Van Devanter and Joseph Rucker Lamar were sworn in as associate justice on the same date, their seniority (precedence) on the Supreme Court was determined by the dates borne on their judicial commissions—President Taft issued the judicial commission of Justice Van Devanter on Dec. 16, 1910, bearing that date; the commission of Justice Lamar issued the next day, Dec. 17.
  12. ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, June 30 – July 3, 1941.
  13. ^ Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. 1152, April 22 – June 24, 1946, and again, under 62 Stat. 869, September 8 – October 5, 1953.
  14. ^ a b Although Lewis Powell and William H. Rehnquist were both sworn into office as associate justice on the same day, Powell by law took precedence as the more senior associate justice, his judicial commission bearing the date Dec. 9, 1971; Rehnquist's commission bore the date of Dec. 16, 1971.
  15. ^ Acted as chief justice under 62 Stat. 869, September 3–29, 2005.

Timeline of justices

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This graphical timeline depicts the progression of the justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.[9][10] Information regarding each justice's predecessors, successors, and fellow justices, as well as their tenure on the court, can be gleaned (and comparisons between justices drawn) from it. There are no formal names or numbers for the individual seats of the associate justices, which are listed in the table below simply by number. Additionally, the progression of U.S. presidents is shown at the top of the timeline to give a more detailed historical context.

Ketanji Brown JacksonAmy Coney BarrettBrett KavanaughNeil GorsuchElena KaganSonia SotomayorSamuel AlitoJohn RobertsStephen BreyerRuth Bader GinsburgClarence ThomasDavid SouterAnthony KennedyAntonin ScaliaSandra Day O'ConnorJohn Paul StevensWilliam RehnquistLewis F. Powell Jr.Harry BlackmunWarren E. BurgerThurgood MarshallAbe FortasArthur GoldbergByron WhitePotter StewartCharles Evans WhittakerWilliam J. Brennan Jr.John Marshall Harlan IIEarl WarrenSherman MintonTom C. ClarkFred M. VinsonHarold Hitz BurtonWiley Blount RutledgeRobert H. JacksonJames F. ByrnesFrank MurphyWilliam O. DouglasFelix FrankfurterStanley Forman ReedHugo BlackBenjamin N. CardozoOwen Josephus RobertsHarlan Fiske StoneEdward Terry SanfordPierce Butler (justice)George SutherlandWilliam Howard TaftJohn Hessin ClarkeLouis BrandeisJames Clark McReynoldsMahlon PitneyJoseph Rucker LamarWillis Van DevanterCharles Evans HughesHorace Harmon LurtonWilliam Henry MoodyWilliam R. DayOliver Wendell Holmes Jr.Joseph McKennaRufus Wheeler PeckhamEdward Douglass WhiteHowell Edmunds JacksonGeorge Shiras Jr.Henry Billings BrownDavid Josiah BrewerMelville Weston FullerLucius Quintus Cincinnatus LamarSamuel BlatchfordHorace GrayStanley Matthews (judge)William Burnham WoodsJohn Marshall HarlanMorrison Remick WaiteWard HuntJoseph Philo BradleyWilliam Strong (Pennsylvania judge)Salmon Portland ChaseStephen Johnson FieldDavid Davis (Supreme Court justice)Samuel Freeman MillerNoah Haynes SwayneNathan CliffordJohn Archibald CampbellBenjamin Robbins CurtisRobert Cooper GrierLevi WoodburySamuel NelsonPeter Vivian DanielJohn McKinleyJohn CatronPhilip P. BarbourRoger Brooke TaneyJames Moore WayneHenry Baldwin (judge)John McLeanRobert TrimbleSmith ThompsonJoseph StoryGabriel DuvallThomas ToddHenry Brockholst LivingstonWilliam Johnson (judge)John MarshallAlfred MooreBushrod WashingtonOliver EllsworthSamuel ChaseWilliam Paterson (judge)Thomas Johnson (jurist)James IredellJohn Blair Jr.James Wilson (founding father)William CushingJohn RutledgeJohn Jay

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Stathis, Stephen W. (2014). Landmark Legislation 1774–2012: Major U.S. Acts and Treaties. CQ Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-1452292298.
  2. ^ 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 978-0195176612.
  3. ^ 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 September 19, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  4. ^ "Article III". Ithaca, New York: Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  5. ^ "About The Supreme Court". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  6. ^ "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Smith, Jean Edward (July 26, 2007). "Stacking the Court". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  8. ^ Rosen, Jeffrey (February 26, 2008). "Dems' Choices For Bench Surprisingly Slim". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present)". washington, D.C.: United States Senate. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d "Justices 1789 to Present". Washington, D.C.: Supreme Court of the United States. Archived from the original on April 15, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
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