The current Supreme Court justices are Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.1Supreme Court of the United States. Justices All nine hold lifetime appointments and serve as the final word on how the Constitution and federal law apply across the country. The court’s size has been fixed at nine since 1869.2Supreme Court of the United States. The Court as an Institution
The Nine Justices in Seniority Order
Seniority starts with the Chief Justice, who always ranks first no matter how long other members have served. Among the eight Associate Justices, seniority follows the date each took the judicial oath. The full bench, with the president who nominated each justice and the year of confirmation:3United States Senate. Supreme Court Nominations 1789-Present
- John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice. Nominated by George W. Bush, confirmed 2005.
- Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice. Nominated by George H.W. Bush, confirmed 1991.
- Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice. Nominated by George W. Bush, confirmed 2006.
- Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice. Nominated by Barack Obama, confirmed 2009.
- Elena Kagan, Associate Justice. Nominated by Barack Obama, confirmed 2010.
- Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice. Nominated by Donald Trump, confirmed 2017.
- Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice. Nominated by Donald Trump, confirmed 2018.
- Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice. Nominated by Donald Trump, confirmed 2020.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice. Nominated by Joe Biden, confirmed 2022.
Most Senior and Most Junior
Clarence Thomas is the longest-serving member of the current bench. He took the judicial oath on October 23, 1991, making him the only sitting justice whose tenure stretches back more than three decades.3United States Senate. Supreme Court Nominations 1789-Present
Ketanji Brown Jackson is the most junior justice. Confirmed in April 2022, she is the first Black woman to serve on the court.
Where the Justices Served and Studied
Every current justice served on a federal appeals court before joining the Supreme Court, and a majority came through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, widely considered the second most powerful court in the country. Roberts, Thomas, Kavanaugh, and Jackson all served there. Others came from regional circuits: Alito on the Third Circuit, Sotomayor on the Second, Gorsuch on the Tenth, and Barrett on the Seventh.
The educational profile is narrow. Every sitting justice earned a law degree from either Harvard or Yale.4Supreme Court of the United States. About the Court – Current Members Roberts, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson graduated from Harvard Law School. Thomas, Alito, and Sotomayor graduated from Yale Law School.5U.S. News & World Report. Where Supreme Court Justices Earned Law Degrees
Several justices held prominent positions before becoming judges. Kagan served as Solicitor General, the government’s top advocate before the Supreme Court, and previously taught at Harvard and the University of Chicago. Roberts also worked in the Solicitor General’s office. Thomas led the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Their paths before the bench tend to mix government service, appellate practice, and legal academia.
How Each Justice Was Confirmed
A president nominates each candidate, and the Senate decides whether to confirm after hearings before the Judiciary Committee, a committee vote, and a vote on the full Senate floor.
Confirmation margins for the sitting justices ranged widely. Roberts was confirmed 78–22. Kavanaugh cleared the Senate 50–48, and Barrett was confirmed 52–48.3United States Senate. Supreme Court Nominations 1789-Present Thomas’s 1991 vote of 52–48 remains one of the narrowest in the court’s history.
Until 2017, Senate rules required 60 votes to end debate on a Supreme Court nominee, which meant a determined minority could block confirmation through a filibuster. That changed in April 2017, when the Senate voted to allow a simple majority to end debate on Supreme Court nominations.6Congress.gov. Senate Proceedings Establishing Majority Cloture for Supreme Court Nominations Every justice confirmed since then, meaning Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson, has cleared the Senate under this lower threshold.
Lifetime Appointments and When Justices Can Retire
Article III of the Constitution says federal judges “shall hold their offices during good behaviour,” which in practice means a lifetime appointment.7Legal Information Institute. U.S. Constitution Article III The Framers designed this to insulate the judiciary from political pressure, so that a justice who never faces reelection or reappointment can rule without worrying about whether the decision is popular.8Constitution Annotated. ArtIII.S1.10.2.1 Overview of Good Behavior Clause
Justices can retire voluntarily once they meet a sliding-scale combination of age and years of service. At 65, a justice needs 15 years of service. At 70, only 10 years. Each year of age between 65 and 70 reduces the service requirement by one year.9GovInfo. Retirement on Salary; Retirement in Senior Status A retired justice continues to receive the salary of the office. Several current justices already meet these thresholds, so the composition of the bench can change whenever a justice decides the time is right.
What Justices Are Paid
As of 2026, the Chief Justice earns $320,700 per year and each Associate Justice earns $306,600.10United States Courts. Judicial Compensation Congress sets these salaries and adjusts them periodically, and the Constitution prohibits reducing a justice’s pay while they are in office.
Justices must file detailed annual financial disclosure statements under the Ethics in Government Act. These filings cover income, gifts, property interests, liabilities over $10,000, and securities transactions. Justices and their spouses must also report securities trades exceeding $1,000 within 45 days of the transaction, a requirement extended to the judiciary under the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act. Knowingly filing false information or failing to file can result in civil fines up to $50,000, as well as potential criminal penalties.11Congress.gov. Financial Disclosure and the Supreme Court