History of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States was established under Article III of the Constitution of the United States. Though Article III provided for the creation of one Supreme Court and inferior Courts, the Judiciary Act of 1789 created the structure of the court system.^[1] On September 24, 1789, the Act was signed into law by President George Washington. That same day, he nominated John Jay to serve as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.^[2][3][4]

The size, jurisdiction, location, and recognized authority of the Supreme Court have changed over the years. The only thing that has remained constant is the selection of its justices. Both the Chief Justice and Associate Justices are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. Once justices are confirmed, they are appointed for life and are only removed from office by death, retirement or impeachment.

Inaugural session[edit]

The Supreme Court was scheduled to convene for the first time on February 1, 1790 in the Royal Exchange Building in New York City.^[4] However, only three justices were present, so a quorum was not met. The next day, John Blair was present and the Court officially came to order.^[5]

Members[edit]

In addition to nominating Chief Justice Jay, on September 24, 1789, President Washington also nominated five Associate Justices: John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, James Wilson and Robert Harrison. All five were confirmed by the Senate, though Harrison declined the nomination for health reasons.^[6] In his place, Washington nominated James Iredell.

Jurisdiction[edit]

Article III of the United States Constitution outlines the jurisdiction of the federal courts of the United States:^[7]

“

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State; between Citizens of different States; between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.[8]

”

1789[edit]

Article III did not define the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, but instead granted Congress the power to define the specific jurisdiction of the Court. As defined by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Supreme Court court reviews:

• By writ of error, judgments in civil actions of the circuit courts if the amount in question was more than $2,000.
• State court decisions when federal authority was challenged.
• Any case where a right, law or treaty of the United States was denied.^[9]

The Court's original jurisdiction is narrowly focused, as defined in Article III, Section 2:^[7]

“

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the Supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction.[8]

”

The Court's appellate jurisdiction encompasses all cases within the scope of Article III, but is subject to limitation by Act of Congress under the Exceptions Clause in Article III and by the discretion of the Court.^[7]

Current jurisdiction[edit]

The Supreme Court holds both original and appellate jurisdiction, with its appellate jurisdiction accounting for most of the Court's caseload.

The federal courts may only entertain cases or controversies. Therefore, the Court avoids deciding cases that are moot and does not render advisory opinions. This exception is not absolute; if an issue is "capable of repetition yet evading review," the Court will address it even though the party before the Court would not himself be made whole by a favorable result.

Number of justices[edit]

History of the Supreme Court
Table of Contents
Inaugural session
Jurisdiction
Number of justices
Terms
Eras
List of all justices
See also: Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023 Justices: Chief Justice Roberts, Alito, Barrett, Gorsuch, Jackson, Kagan, Kavanaugh, Sotomayor, Thomas
External links
References

Number of Justices	Set by	Change
Chief Justice + 5 Associate Justices	Judiciary Act of 1789
Chief Justice + 4 Associate Justices	Judiciary Act of 1801 (later repealed)	-1
Chief Justice + 6 Associate Justices	Seventh Circuit Act of 1807	+2
Chief Justice + 8 Associate Justices	Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837	+2
Chief Justice + 9 Associate Justices	Tenth Circuit Act of 1863	+1
Chief Justice + 6 Associate Justices	Judicial Circuits Act of 1866	-3
Chief Justice + 8 Associate Justices	Judiciary Act of 1869	+2

Politics and the number of seats[edit]

Judiciary Act of 1801[edit]

The Judiciary Act of 1801, also known as the Circuit Court Act and the Midnight Judges Act, was passed at the very end of President John Adams' administration and during the second session of the Sixth Congress. The Act became law on February 13, 1801 after passing first the House (on January 20th, 1801) and then the Senate (on February 7, 1801). Because of the timing of its passage, many of the judicial appointments became known as midnight judges (or midnight appointments). These appointments were challenged in the Supreme Court case Marbury et al. v. Madison (1803).

The Judiciary Act of 1801 created six distinct judicial circuits in order to increase the power of the judiciary. It also created three judgeships for the five circuits east of the Appalachian mountains. It abolished the practice of "riding circuit" for the Justices of the Supreme Court, since new judges presided over the courts.^[10]

The first example of a political party attempting to shape the Court came with the Judiciary Act of 1801. After President Adams lost his bid for re-election in 1800, the Federalist-controlled Congress passed this Act, which reduced the number of Supreme Court justices by one with the next vacancy. The reduction of Supreme Court justices was intended to delay President Jefferson's chance to nominate someone to the court.^[11]

Judicial Circuits Act of 1866[edit]

The only other time that the number of Supreme Court justices was reduced was with the Act of 1866. This Act can be viewed from two different perspectives. One, the passage of it eliminated three seats on the Supreme Court, nullifying the pending nomination of Henry Stanberry. Stanberry was the only justice nominated to the Court by President Andrew Johnson, who was impeached by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives two years later.^[12] However, Johnson signed the legislation into law prior to his impeachment. According to the Federal Judicial Center, it was Chief Justice Salmon Chase who urged lawmakers to reduce the size of the Court in an attempt to increase the salaries of sitting justices.^[12]

President Roosevelt's plan[edit]

One notable attempt to increase the number of Associate Justices came from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who proposed the Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937. In what was seen as a blatant attempt to fill the court with more justices favorable to New Deal legislation, Roosevelt proposed appointing a new justice for every sitting justice over the age of 70. This would have amounted to six new justices at the time. Later, the Reorganization Bill was passed without the additional justice provision.^[13]

Terms[edit]

The original Court held two sessions per year, in February and August. The Judiciary Act of 1802 eliminated the separate sessions and instead dictated that there would be one session which started on the first Monday in February.^[14]

In 1873, Congress changed the start of a new term to the second Monday in October. Forty-four years later, Congress moved the start of a new term to the first Monday in October to accommodate a growing docket.^[15]

Until 1978, the Court had a formal recess in July and August, though it would reconvene for matters of national significance. Presently, the court recesses in June, but continues to work throughout the summer.^[16]

Chief Justice eras[edit]

See also: United States Supreme Court cases and courts

The Jay Court (1789-1795)[edit]

The Jay Court lasted from 1789 to 1795, during the presidency of George Washington. John Jay was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George Washington and served from September 26, 1789, to June 29, 1795.^[17]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
09/26/1789 - 05/7/1791	John Rutledge	George Washington
09/29/1789 - 08/21/1798	James Wilson	George Washington
09/30/1789 - 10/25/1795	John Blair	George Washington
02/10/1790 - 10/20/1799	James Iredell	George Washington
09/27/1789 - 09/13/1810	William Cushing	George Washington
11/07/1791 - 01/16/1793	Thomas Johnson	George Washington
03/04/1793 - 09/09/1806	William Paterson	George Washington

For more on major cases of The Jay Court, click here.

The Rutledge Court (1795)[edit]

The Rutledge Court was the shortest Chief Justice era in United States history. John Rutledge served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States during 1795, starting with a nomination during the senatorial recess. The nomination was rejected when the Senate came back into session in December because Rutledge had previously condemned the Jay Treaty, saying it was too favorable to the British.^[18][19]

According to The Supreme Court Historical Society, this nomination and subsequent rejection was the first time the Senate did not approve a notable nomination by a president.^[18]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
09/29/1789 - 08/21/1798	James Wilson	George Washington
09/30/1789 - 10/25/1795	John Blair	George Washington
02/10/1790 - 10/20/1799	James Iredell	George Washington
09/27/1789 - 09/13/1810	William Cushing	George Washington
03/04/1793 - 09/09/1806	William Paterson	George Washington

For more on major cases of The Rutledge Court, click here.

The Ellsworth Court (1796-1800)[edit]

The Ellsworth Court marks one of shortest tenures of a Chief Justice in the history of the United States, lasting from March 1796 to September 1800. Oliver Ellsworth served during the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams.

Ellsworth was nominated as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President George Washington on March 3, 1796, and was confirmed by the Senate on March 4, 1796. He received commission on the same day.^[2] In 1799, Ellsworth was sent to France to negotiate a treaty with Napoleon. During his travels, he informed President Adams of his resignation, effective December 15, 1800.^[20][2]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
09/26/1789 - 03/05/1791	John Rutledge	George Washington
09/29/1789 - 08/21/1798	James Wilson	George Washington
02/10/1790 - 10/20/1799	James Iredell	George Washington
09/27/1789 - 09/13/1810	William Cushing	George Washington
03/04/1793 - 09/09/1806	William Paterson	George Washington
09/30/1789 - 06/19/1811	Samuel Chase	George Washington
12/20/1798 - 11/26/1829	Bushrod Washington	John Adams
12/10/1799 - 01/26/1804	Alfred Moore	John Adams

For more on major cases of The Ellsworth Court, click here.

The Marshall Court (1801-1835)[edit]

The Marshall Court lasted from 1801 to 1835, during the presidencies of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson.

John Marshall was nominated as Chief Justice by President John Adams on January 20, 1801, to succeed Oliver Ellsworth. Marshall was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 27, 1801, and received commission on January 31, 1801. John Marshall's tenure as chief justice lasted for 34 years, the longest in American history for any chief justice. He presided over 1000 decisions and wrote over 500 opinions.^[21][22] His service ended upon his death on July 6, 1835.^[23]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
09/27/1789 - 09/13/1810	William Cushing	George Washington
03/04/1793 - 09/09/1806	William Paterson	George Washington
01/27/1796 - 06/19/1811	Samuel Chase	George Washington
12/20/1798 - 11/26/1829	Bushrod Washington	John Adams
12/10/1799 - 01/26/1804	Alfred Moore	John Adams
03/26/1804 - 08/04/1834	William Johnson, Jr.	Thomas Jefferson
01/16/1807 - 03/18/1823	Henry Brockholst Livingston	Thomas Jefferson
03/03/1807 - 02/07/1826	Thomas Todd	Thomas Jefferson
11/18/1811 - 01/12/1835	Gabriel Duvall	James Madison
11/18/1811 - 09/10/1845	Joseph Story	James Madison
12/09/1823 - 12/18/1843	Smith Thompson	James Monroe
05/09/1826 - 08/25/1828	Robert Trimble (Supreme Court)	John Quincy Adams
01/06/1830 - 04/21/1844	Henry Baldwin	Andrew Jackson
03/07/1829 - 04/04/1861	John McLean	Andrew Jackson
01/09/1835 - 07/05/1867	James Moore Wayne	Andrew Jackson

For more on major cases of The Marshall Court, click here.

The Taney Court (1836-1864)[edit]

The Taney Court lasted from March 1836 to October 1864, during the presidencies of Andrew Jackson (D), Martin Van Buren (D), William Henry Harrison (Whig), John Tyler (Whig), Zachary Taylor (Whig), Millard Fillmore (Whig), Franklin Pierce (D), James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln (R).

Roger Brooke Taney was nominated as the fifth Supreme Court Chief Justice by President Andrew Jackson (D) on December 28, 1835. Taney was later confirmed by the Senate and served from March 15, 1836, to October 12, 1864. Previously, he had been nominated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1835, but that nomination was indefinitely postponed.^[2]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
11/18/1811 - 09/10/1845	Joseph Story	James Madison
12/09/1823 - 12/18/1843	Smith Thompson	James Monroe
01/06/1830 - 04/21/1844	Henry Baldwin	Andrew Jackson
03/07/1829 - 04/04/1861	John McLean	Andrew Jackson
01/09/1835 - 07/05/1867	James Moore Wayne	Andrew Jackson
03/15/1836 - 02/15/1841	Philip Pendelton Barbour	Andrew Jackson
03/03/1837 - 05/30/1865	John Catron	Andrew Jackson
09/25/1837 - 07/19/1852	John McKinley	Martin Van Buren
03/03/1841 - 05/31/1860	Peter Vivian Daniel	Martin Van Buren
01/03/1846 - 09/04/1851	Levi Woodbury	James Polk
02/13/1845 - 11/28/1872	Samuel Nelson	James Polk
08/04/1846 - 01/31/1870	Robert Cooper Grier	James Polk
12/20/1851 - 09/30/1857	Benjamin Robbins Curtis	Millard Fillmore
03/22/1853 - 04/30/1861	John Archibald Campbell	Franklin Pierce
01/12/1958 - 07/25/1881	Nathan Clifford	James Buchanan
07/16/1862 - 10/13/1890	Samuel Freeman Miller	Abraham Lincoln
12/08/1862 - 03/04/1877	David Davis	Abraham Lincoln
01/24/1862 - 01/24/1881	Noah Haynes Swayne	Abraham Lincoln
03/10/1863 - 12/01/1897	Stephen Johnson Field	Abraham Lincoln

For more on major cases of The Taney Court, click here.

The Chase Court (1864-1873)[edit]

The Chase Court lasted from December 1864 to May 1873, during the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln (R), |Andrew Johnson (D), and Ulysses S. Grant (R).

Salmon Portland Chase was nominated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 6, 1864, and was commissioned on the same day. Chase was the sixth Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court. Chase served as Chief Justice until his death on May 7, 1873.^[24]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
01/09/1835 - 07/05/1867	James Moore Wayne	Andrew Jackson (D)
03/08/1837 - 05/30/1865	John Catron	Andrew Jackson (D)
02/13/1845 - 11/28/1872	Samuel Nelson	James Polk (D)
08/04/1846 - 01/31/1870	Robert Cooper Grier	James Polk (D)
01/12/1858 - 07/25/1881	Nathan Clifford	James Buchanan (D)
07/16/1862 - 10/13/1890	Samuel Freeman Miller	Abraham Lincoln (R)
12/08/1862 - 03/04/1877	David Davis	Abraham Lincoln (R)
01/24/1862 - 01/24/1881	Noah Haynes Swayne	Abraham Lincoln (R)
03/10/1863 - 12/01/1897	Stephen Johnson Field	Abraham Lincoln (R)
02/18/1870 - 12/14/1880	William Strong	Ulysses S. Grant (R)
03/21/1870 - 01/22/1892	Joseph Bradley	Ulysses S. Grant (R)
12/11/1872 - 01/27/1882	Ward Hunt	Ulysses S. Grant (R)

For more on major cases of The Chase Court, click here.

The Waite Court (1874-1888)[edit]

The Waite Court lasted from January 1874 to March 1888, during the presidencies of Ulysses S. Grant (R), Rutherford B. Hayes (R), James Garfield (R), Chester A. Arthur (R), and Grover Cleveland (D).

Morrison Waite was nominated to become chief justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Ulysses S. Grant on January 19, 1874. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 21, 1874, and received his commission on the same day. He served until his death on March 23, 1888.^[25]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
01/21/1858 - 07/25/1881	Nathan Clifford	James Buchanan
07/21/1862 - 10/13/1890	Samuel Freeman Miller	Abraham Lincoln
12/10/1862 - 03/04/1877	David Davis	Abraham Lincoln
01/27/1862 - 01/24/1881	Noah Haynes Swayne	Abraham Lincoln
05/20/1863 - 12/01/1897	Stephen Johnson Field	Abraham Lincoln
03/14/1870 - 12/14/1880	William Strong	Ulysses S. Grant
03/23/1870 - 01/22/1892	Joseph Bradley	Ulysses S. Grant
1/9/1873 - 01/27/1882	Ward Hunt	Ulysses S. Grant
12/10/1877 - 10/14/1911	John Harlan I	Rutherford B. Hayes
1/5/1881 - 05/14/1887	William Burnham Woods	Rutherford B. Hayes
05/17/1881 - 03/22/1889	Stanley Matthews	James Garfield
04/3/1882 - 07/07/1893	Samuel Blatchford	Chester A. Arthur
1/9/1882 - 09/15/1902	Horace Gray	Chester A. Arthur
01/18/1888 - 01/23/1893	Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar	Grover Cleveland

For more on major cases of The Waite Court, click here.

The Fuller Court (1888-1910)[edit]

The Fuller Court lasted from July 1888 to July 1910, during the presidencies of Grover Cleveland (D), Benjamin Harrison (R), William McKinley (R), Theodore Roosevelt (R), and William Howard Taft (R).

Melville Weston Fuller was nominated as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Grover Cleveland on April 30, 1888. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 20, 1888, and was commissioned on the same day. Fuller was the eighth Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court. His judicial service ended on July 4, 1910, upon his death.^[2][26][27]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1862-1890	Samuel Freeman Miller	Abraham Lincoln
1863-1897	Stephen Johnson Field	Abraham Lincoln
1870-1892	Joseph Bradley	Ulysses Grant
1877-1889	John Harlan I	Rutherford B. Hayes
1881-1889	Stanley Matthews	James Garfield
1882-1893	Samuel Blatchford	Chester Arthur
1882-1902	Horace Gray	Chester Arthur
1888-1893	Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar	Grover Cleveland
1890-1910	David Josiah Brewer	Benjamin Harrison
1891-1906	Henry Billings Brown (U.S. Supreme Court)	Benjamin Harrison
1892-1903	George Shiras	Benjamin Harrison
1893-1895	Howell Edmunds Jackson	Benjamin Harrison
1896-1909	Rufus Wheeler Peckham	Grover Cleveland
1898-1925	Joseph McKenna	William McKinley
1902-1932	Oliver Wendell Holmes	Theodore Roosevelt
1903-1922	William Rufus Day	Theodore Roosevelt
1906-1910	William Henry Moody	Theodore Roosevelt
1910-1914	Horace Harmon Lurton	William Howard Taft

For more on major cases of The Fuller Court, click here.

The White Court (1910-1921)[edit]

The White Court lasted from December 1910 until May 1921, during the presidencies of William Howard Taft (R) and Woodrow Wilson (D).

Edward Douglass White was nominated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by President William H. Taft on December 12, 1910. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on the same day. White held the position of Chief Justice until his death on May 19, 1921. He had previously served as Associate Justice, a position he was nominated to by President Grover Cleveland in February 1894. ^[28]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1877-1911	John Harlan I	Rutherford B. Hayes
1898-1925	Joseph McKenna	William McKinley
1902-1932	Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.	Theodore Roosevelt
1903-1922	William Rufus Day	Theodore Roosevelt
1910-1914	Horace Harmon Lurton	William Howard Taft
1911-1916	Joseph Rucker Lamar	William Howard Taft
1911-1937	Willis Van Devanter	William Howard Taft
1912-1922	Mahlon Pitney	William Howard Taft
1914-1941	James Clark McReynolds	Woodrow Wilson
1916-1922	John Hessin Clarke	Woodrow Wilson
1916-1939	Louis Brandeis	Woodrow Wilson

For more on major cases of The White Court, click here.

The Taft Court (1921-1930)[edit]

The Taft Court lasted from June 1921 until February 1930, during the presidencies of Warren Harding (R), Calvin Coolidge (R), and Herbert Hoover (R).

William Howard Taft was nominated by President Warren Harding (R) on June 30, 1921, to be chief justice of the court. He received his commission on June 30, 1921, and served until his resignation on February 3, 1930.^[29]

Taft served as the head of two branches of government, as President of the United States from 1909 to 1913, and chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930.

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1898-1925	Joseph McKenna	William McKinley
1902-1932	Oliver Wendell Holmes	Theodore Roosevelt
1903-1922	William Rufus Day	Theodore Roosevelt
1911-1937	Willis Van Devanter	William Howard Taft
1912-1922	Mahlon Pitney	William Howard Taft
1914-1941	James Clark McReynolds	Woodrow Wilson
1916-1922	John Hessin Clarke	Woodrow Wilson
1916-1939	Louis Brandeis	Woodrow Wilson
1922-1938	George Sutherland	Warren Harding
1923-1930	Edward Terry Sanford	Warren Harding
1923-1939	Pierce Butler	Warren Harding
1925-1941	Harlan Fiske Stone	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1930-1945	Owen Josephus Roberts	Herbert Hoover

For more on major cases of The Taft Court, click here.

The Hughes Court (1930-1941)[edit]

The Hughes Court lasted from February 1930 until June 1941, during the presidencies of Herbert Hoover (R) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (D).

Charles E. Hughes was nominated as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Hoover on February 3, 1930. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 13, 1930, and received her judicial commission on the same day. Hughes took over as Chief Justice after the death of former President and Chief Justice William H. Taft.^[2][30] Hughes the eleventh Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court. On June 30, 1941, he stepped down from the position and assumed senior status.^[31]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1902-1932	Oliver Wendell Holmes	Theodore Roosevelt
1911-1937	Willis Van Devanter	William Howard Taft
1914-1941	James Clark McReynolds	Woodrow Wilson
1916-1939	Louis Brandeis	Woodrow Wilson
1922-1938	George Sutherland	Warren Harding
1923-1930	Edward Terry Sanford	Warren Harding
1923-1939	Pierce Butler	Warren Harding
1930-1945	Owen Josephus Roberts	Herbert Hoover
1932-1938	Benjamin Nathan Cardozo	Herbert Hoover
1937-1971	Hugo Black	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1938-1957	Stanley Reed	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1962	Felix Frankfurter	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1975	William Douglas	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940-1949	Frank Murphy	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1942	James Byrnes	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1946	Harlan Fiske Stone	Calvin Coolidge

For more on major cases of The Huges Court, click here.

The Stone Court (1941-1946)[edit]

The Stone Court lasted from June 1941 until April 1946, during the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) and Harry Truman (D). Harlan Fiske Stone was nominated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 12, 1941.^[30]

Stone previously served as an associate justice on the court, after a nomination from President Calvin Coolidge in February 1925. With this nomination, Stone was the first Supreme Court nominee to testify at a confirmation hearing.^[32]

Stone served as the twelfth chief justice of the Supreme Court until his death on April 22, 1946.^[33]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1930-1945	Owen Josephus Roberts	Herbert Hoover
1937-1971	Hugo Black	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1938-1957	Stanley Reed	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1962	Felix Frankfurter	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1975	William Douglas	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940-1949	Frank Murphy	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1942	James Byrnes	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1954	Robert H. Jackson	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1943-1949	Wiley Rutledge	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1945-1958	Harold Burton	Harry Truman

For more on major cases of The Stone Court, click here.

The Vinson Court (1946-1953)[edit]

The Vinson Court lasted from June 1946 until September 1953, during the presidencies of Harry Truman (D) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (R).

Frederick Vinson received his nomination for Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from President Harry Truman on June 6, 1946, and was confirmed by the Senate on June 20, 1946. He received his commission on June 21, 1946, and served until his death on September 8, 1953.^[34]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1937-1971	Hugo Black	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1938-1957	Stanley Reed	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1962	Felix Frankfurter	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1975	William Douglas	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1940-1949	Frank Murphy	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1954	Robert H. Jackson	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1943-1949	Wiley Rutledge	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1945-1958	Harold Burton	Harry Truman
1949-1967	Tom Clark	Harry Truman
1949-1956	Sherman Minton	Harry Truman

For more on major cases of The Vinson Court, click here.

The Warren Court (1953-1969)[edit]

The Warren Court lasted from October 1953 until June 1969, during the presidencies of Dwight D. Eisenhower (R), John F. Kennedy (D), and Lyndon Johnson (D).

Earl Warren received a recess appointment for Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 2, 1953. On January 11, 1954, Eisenhower nominated him to the same position. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 1954, and received commission on March 20, 1954. Warren assumed senior status on June 23, 1969, and served until his death on July 9, 1974.^[35]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1937-1971	Hugo Black	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1938-1957	Stanley Reed	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1962	Felix Frankfurter	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1975	William Douglas	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941-1954	Robert H. Jackson	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1945-1958	Harold Burton	Harry Truman
1949-1956	Sherman Minton	Harry Truman
1949-1967	Tom Clark	Harry Truman
1955-1971	John Harlan II	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1956-1990	William Brennan	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1957-1962	Charles Whittaker	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1958-1981	Potter Stewart	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1962-1965	Arthur Goldberg	John F. Kennedy
1962-1993	Byron White	John F. Kennedy
1965-1969	Abe Fortas	Lyndon B. Johnson
1967-1991	Thurgood Marshall	Lyndon B. Johnson

For more on major cases of The Warren Court, click here.

The Burger Court (1969-1986)[edit]

The Burger Court lasted from June 1969 to September 1986, during the presidencies of Richard M. Nixon (R), Gerald Ford (R), Jimmy Carter (D), and Ronald Reagan (R).

Warren Burger was nominated as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Nixon on May 23, 1969. Burger was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 9, 1969, and was commissioned on June 23, 1969. Burger was the fifteenth Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court. He stepped down as Chief Justice on September 26, 1986, when he assumed senior status.^[2][30][36]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1937-1971	Hugo Black	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1939-1975	William Douglas	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1955-1971	John Harlan II	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1956-1990	William Brennan	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1958-1981	Potter Stewart	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1962-1993	Byron White	John F. Kennedy
1967-1991	Thurgood Marshall	Lyndon B. Johnson
1970-1994	Harry Blackmun	Richard M. Nixon
1972-1987	Lewis Powell	Richard M. Nixon
1972-1986	William Rehnquist	Richard M. Nixon
1975-2010	John Paul Stevens	Gerald Ford
1981-2006	Sandra Day O'Connor	Ronald Reagan

For more on major cases of The Burger Court, click here.

The Rehnquist Court (1986-2005)[edit]

The Rehnquist Court lasted from 1986 to 2005, during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan (R), George H.W. Bush (R), Bill Clinton (D), and George W. Bush (R).

Rehnquist was nominated as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by President Ronald Reagan on June 20, 1986.

Rehnquist originally served as an associate justice on the court, after a nomination from President Richard Nixon on October 21, 1971. He was succeeded in this position by Justice Antonin Scalia.^[30]

Rehnquist served as the sixteenth chief justice of the Supreme Court until his death on September 3, 2005.^[37]

Justices

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1956-1990	William Brennan	Dwight D. Eisenhower
1962-1993	Byron White	John F. Kennedy
1967-1991	Thurgood Marshall	Lyndon B. Johnson
1970-1994	Harry Blackmun	Richard M. Nixon
1972-1987	Lewis Powell	Richard M. Nixon
1975-2010	John Paul Stevens	Gerald Ford
1981-2006	Sandra Day O'Connor	Ronald Reagan
1986-2016	Antonin Scalia	Ronald Reagan
1988-2018	Anthony Kennedy	Ronald Reagan
1990-2009	David Souter	George H.W. Bush
1991-Present	Clarence Thomas	George H.W. Bush
1993-2020	Ruth Bader Ginsburg	Bill Clinton
1994-2022	Stephen Breyer	Bill Clinton

For more on major cases of The Rehnquist Court, click here.

The Roberts Court (2005-present)[edit]

The Justices in this table have served during the Roberts Court.

Tenure	Justice	Nominated By
1975-2010	John Paul Stevens	Gerald Ford (R)
1981-2006	Sandra Day O'Connor	Ronald Reagan (R)
1986-2016	Antonin Scalia	Ronald Reagan (R)
1988-2018	Anthony Kennedy	Ronald Reagan (R)
1990-2009	David Souter	George H.W. Bush (R)
1993-2020	Ruth Bader Ginsburg	Bill Clinton (D)
1991-Present	Clarence Thomas	George H.W. Bush (R)
1994-2022	Stephen Breyer	Bill Clinton (D)
2006-Present	Samuel Alito	George W. Bush (R)
2009-Present	Sonia Sotomayor	Barack Obama (D)
2010-Present	Elena Kagan	Barack Obama (D)
2017-Present	Neil Gorsuch	Donald Trump (R)
2018-Present	Brett Kavanaugh	Donald Trump (R)
2020-Present	Amy Coney Barrett	Donald Trump (R)
2022-Present	Ketanji Brown Jackson	Joe Biden (D)

Legacy

Chief Justice Roberts is considered a judicial conservative. Since joining the court, he often sided with Justice Scalia and continues to align with Justice Thomas and Alito, the two most conservative justices. Some argue Roberts is a judicial minimalist, approaching cases carefully with an eye to precedent, while judging narrowly so as to preserve the continuity of judicial opinion. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Chief Justice Roberts claimed his role was similar to that of an umpire. He said, "Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire."^[38][39]

More info

For more on this era, see The Roberts Court.

List of all Supreme Court justices[edit]

Supreme Court justice	Term dates
Former Justice Abe Fortas	August 11, 1965 - May 14, 1969
Former Justice Alfred Moore (U.S. Supreme Court)	December 10, 1799 - January 26, 1804
Former associate justice Anthony Kennedy	February 17, 1988 - July 31, 2018
Former associate justice Antonin Scalia	September 26, 1986 - February 13, 2016
Former Justice Arthur Goldberg	September 28, 1962 - July 26, 1965
Former Justice Benjamin Cardozo	March 2, 1932 - July 9, 1938
Former Justice Benjamin Robbins Curtis	December 20, 1851 - September 30, 1857
Associate justice Brett Kavanaugh	October 6, 2018 - Present
Former Justice Bushrod Washington	December 20, 1798 - November 26, 1829
Former Justice Byron White	1962 - 1993
Former Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes	February 13, 1930 - June 30, 1941
Former Justice Charles Whittaker	March 22, 1957 - March 31, 1962
Associate justice Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)	July 1, 1991 - Present
Former Justice David Davis (U.S. Supreme Court)	October 17, 1862 - March 4, 1877
Former Justice David Josiah Brewer	March 31, 1884 - January 6, 1890
Former Justice David Souter	October 3, 1990 - June 30, 2009
Former Chief Justice Earl Warren	March 20, 1954 - June 23, 1969
Former Chief Justice Edward Douglass White	December 12, 1910 - May 19, 1921
Former Justice Edward Terry Sanford	January 29, 1923 - March 8, 1930
Associate justice Elena Kagan	August 7, 2010 - Present
Former Justice Felix Frankfurter	January 20, 1939 - August 28, 1962
Former Justice Frank Murphy	January 16, 1940 - July 19, 1949
Former Chief Justice Frederick Vinson	June 21, 1946 - September 8, 1953
Former Justice Gabriel Duvall	November 18, 1811 - January 12, 1835
Former Justice George Shiras	July 26 1892 - February 23, 1903
Former Justice George Sutherland	1922 - 1938
Former Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone	July 3, 1941 - April 22, 1946
Former Justice Harold Burton	1945 - 1964
Former Justice Harry Blackmun	May 14, 1970 - August 3, 1994
Former Justice Henry Baldwin	January 6, 1830 - April 21, 1844
Former Justice Henry Billings Brown (U.S. Supreme Court)	December 29, 1890 - May 28, 1906
Former Justice Henry Brockholst Livingston	January 16, 1807 - March 18, 1823
Former Justice Horace Gray	December 20, 1881 - September 15, 1902
Former Justice Horace Harmon Lurton	12 20, 1909 - July 12, 1914
Former Justice Howell Edmunds Jackson	February 18, 1893 - August 8, 1895
Former Justice Hugo Black	August 18, 1937 - September 17, 1971
Former Justice James Byrnes	June 25, 1941 - October 3, 1942
Former Justice James Clark McReynolds	August 29, 1914 - January 31, 1941
Former Justice James Iredell	February 10, 1790 - October 20, 1799
Former justice James Moore Wayne	January 9, 1835 - July 5, 1867
Former Justice James Wilson (U.S. Supreme Court)	September 29, 1789 - August 21, 1798
Former Justice John Archibald Campbell	March 22, 1853 - April 30, 1861
Former Justice John Blair (Supreme Court)	September 30, 1789 - October 25, 1795
Former Justice John Catron	March 8, 1837 - May 30, 1865
Former Justice John Harlan I	November 29, 1877 - October 14, 1911
Former Judge John Harlan II	March 27, 1955 - September 23, 1971
Former Judge John Hessin Clarke	July 24, 1916 - September 18, 1922
Former Chief Justice John Jay	October 19, 1789 - June 29, 1795
Former Chief Justice John Marshall (Supreme Court)	January 31 1801 - July 6, 1835
Former Justice John McKinley	April 22, 1837 - July 19, 1852
Former Justice John McLean	March 7, 1829 - April 4, 1861
Former Justice John Paul Stevens	Decmeber 17, 1975 - June 30, 2010
Chief justice John Roberts (Supreme Court)	September 29, 2005 - Present
Former Judge John Rutledge (Supreme Court)	September 26, 1789 - March 5, 1791, July 1, 1795 - December 28, 1795
Former Justice Joseph Bradley	March 21, 1870 - January 22, 1892
Former Justice Joseph McKenna (Supreme Court)	January 21, 1897 - January 5, 1925
Former Justice Joseph Rucker Lamar	December 17, 1910 - January 2, 1916
Former Justice Joseph Story	November 18, 1811 - September 10, 1845
Former Justice Levi Woodbury	January 3, 1846 - September, 4, 1851
Former Justice Lewis Powell	December 9, 1971 - June 26, 1987
Former Justice Louis Brandeis	June 1, 1916 - February 13, 1939
Former judge Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar	January 16, 1888 - January 23, 1893
Former Justice Mahlon Pitney	February 19, 1912 - December 31, 1922
Former Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller	July 20, 1888 - July 4, 1910
Former Chief Justice Morrison Waite	January 21, 1874 - March 23, 1888
Former Justice Nathan Clifford	January 12, 1858 - July 25, 1881
Associate justice Neil Gorsuch	April 10, 2017 - Present
Former Justice Noah Haynes Swayne	January 24, 1862 - January 24, 1881
Former Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth	March 4, 1796 - September 30, 1800
Former Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes	December 4, 1902 - January 12, 1932
Former Justice Owen Roberts	May 20, 1930 - July 31, 1945
Former Justice Peter Vivian Daniel	March 3, 1841 - May 31, 1860
Former Justice Philip Pendelton Barbour	March 15, 1836 - February 15, 1841
Former Justice Pierce Butler	December 21, 1922 - November 16, 1939
Former Justice Potter Stewart	1958 - 1985
Former Justice Robert Cooper Grier	August 4, 1846 - January 31, 1870
Former Justice Robert H. Jackson	1941 - 1954
Former Justice Robert Trimble	May 9, 1826 - August 25, 1828
Former Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney	March 15, 1836 - October 12, 1864
Former Justice Rufus Wheeler Peckham	December 9, 1895 - October 24, 1909
Associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg	August 5, 1993 - September 18, 2020
Former Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase	December 6, 1864 - May 7, 1873
Associate justice Samuel Alito	January 31, 2006 - Present
Former Justice Samuel Blatchford	March 22, 1882 - July 7, 1893
Former Justice Samuel Chase	January 27, 1796 - June 19, 1811
Former Justice Samuel Freeman Miller	July 16, 1862 - October 13, 1890
Former Justice Samuel Nelson	February 13, 1845 - November 28, 1872
Former justice Sandra Day O'Connor	September 25, 1981 - January 31, 2006
Former Justice Sherman Minton	October 5, 1949 - October 15, 1956
Former Justice Smith Thompson	December 9, 1823 - December 18, 1843
Associate justice Sonia Sotomayor	August 6, 2009 - Present
Former Justice Stanley Matthews	May 12, 1881 - March 22, 1889
Former Justice Stanley Reed	January 27, 1938 - February 25, 1957
Former justice Stephen Breyer	August 3, 1994 - June 30, 2022
Former Justice Stephen Johnson Field	March 10, 1863 - December 1, 1897
Former Justice Thomas Johnson (U.S. Supreme Court)	August 6, 1792 - January 16, 1793
Former Justice Thomas Todd (U.S. Supreme Court)	March 3, 1807 - February 7, 1826
Former Judge Thurgood Marshall	August 30, 1967 - October 1, 1991
Former justice Tom Clark	1949 - 1967
Former Justice Ward Hunt	December 11, 1872 - January 27, 1882
Former Chief Justice Warren Burger	June 23, 1969 - September 26, 1986
Former Justice Wiley Rutledge	February 11, 1943 - September 10, 1949
Former Justice William Brennan (U.S. Supreme Court)	March 21, 1957 - July 20, 1990
Former Justice William Burnham Woods	December 21, 1880 - May 14, 1887
Associate Justice William Cushing	September 27, 1789 - September 13, 1810
Former Justice William Douglas	April 15, 1939 - November 12, 1975
Former Justice William Henry Moody	December 12, 1906 - November 19, 1910
Former Chief Justice William Howard Taft	June 30, 1921 - February 3, 1930
Former Justice William Johnson, Jr.	March 26, 1804 - August 4, 1834
Former Justice William Paterson	March 4, 1793 - September 9, 1806
Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist	September 25, 1986 - September 3, 2005
Former Justice William Rufus Day	February 19, 1903 - November 13, 1922
Former Justice William Strong	Febryart 18, 1870 - December 14, 1880
Former Associate Justice Willis Van Devanter	December 16, 1910 - June 2, 1937
Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett	October 26, 2020 - Present
Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson	April 8, 2022 - Present

Locations[edit]

Time	City	Building	About the location
February 1-10, 1790 and August 2-3, 1790	New York City	Royal Exchange Building	The Court held its first two sessions when New York City was the nation's capital. The building was an open air market on the first floor; justices met on the second floor.
February 1791	Philadelphia	Independence Hall (then the Pennsylvania State House)	The Court convened here for just two days, since there were no cases on the docket.
August 1791-1800	Philadelphia	Old City Hall (then City Hall)	The U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court shared a location, meeting in the West Wing and East Wing, respectively.
February 1801-1810	Washington, D.C.	Various rooms in the U.S. Capitol	During this decade, the Court met in various rooms of the United States Capitol.
1810-1860	Washington, D.C.	Basement of the North Wing in the U.S. Capitol	In 1810, the Supreme Court met in various rooms in the Old North Wing of the Capitol. Throughout this period, when the building was under construction or when the building was burned by the British during the War of 1812, the Court convened in homes or taverns.
1861-1935	Washington, D.C.	Old Senate Chamber	The Supreme Court took over the Old Senate Chamber in 1861. Its previous meeting area became a shared law library for the Congress and Court. Though the Court now had a designated courtroom, justices and their staff did not have office spaces.
1935-present	Washington, D.C.	The Supreme Court building	The cornerstone of the Supreme Court building was laid in 1932 and the court moved into its permanent location in 1935. President, and later, Chief Justice William Howard Taft was integral to the creation of the building, lobbying for its existence since 1912. Though Charles Evans Hughes presided over the court upon the building's completion, he credited Taft, saying, "This building is the result of his intelligent persistence."[40]

^[40][41]

See also[edit]

• 

  History of the Supreme Court

• 

  Supreme Court of the United States

• 

  Read about the last term

• Landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States

External links[edit]

• The Supreme Court Historical Society, History of the Supreme Court
• The Supreme Court of the United States, Members of the Supreme Court of the United States
• The Supreme Court of the United States, The Court and Its Traditions
• The Supreme Court of the United States, The Court and Its Procedures

Footnotes[edit]

v • e Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
Active justices	Chief justice: Roberts Associate justices: Alito • Barrett • Gorsuch • Jackson • Kagan • Kavanaugh • Sotomayor • Thomas
Senior justices	Breyer • Kennedy • O'Connor • Souter
Former chief justices	Burger • Chase • Ellsworth • Fuller • Hughes • Jay • Marshall • Rehnquist • Rutledge • Stone • Taft • Taney • Vinson • Waite • Warren • White
Former associate justices	Baldwin • Barbour • Black • Blackmun • Blair • Blatchford • Bradley • Brandeis • Brennan • Brewer • Brown • Burton • Butler • Byrnes • Campbell • Cardozo • Catron • Chase • Clark • Clarke • Clifford • Curtis • Cushing • Daniel • Davis • Day • Douglas • Duvall • Field • Fortas • Frankfurter • Ginsburg • Goldberg • Gray • Grier • Harlan I • Harlan II • Holmes • Hunt • Iredell • H. Jackson • R. Jackson • T. Johnson • W. Johnson, Jr. • J. Lamar • L. Lamar • Livingston • Lurton • Marshall • Matthews • McKenna • McKinley • McLean • McReynolds • Miller • Minton • Moody • Moore • Murphy • Nelson • Paterson • Peckham • Pitney • Powell • Reed • Roberts • W. Rutledge • Sanford • Scalia • Shiras • Stevens • Stewart • Story • Strong • Sutherland • Swayne • Thompson • Todd • Trimble • Van Devanter • Washington • Wayne • B. White • Whittaker • Wilson • Woodbury • Woods