The Supreme Court of the United States: A History of Leadership and Service
Introduction
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the land, and its justices play a vital role in shaping the nation's laws and policies. The current court is composed of nine justices, each of whom has a unique background and perspective.Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York in 1955. He graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and clerked for Justice William H. Rehnquist before entering private practice. Roberts was appointed to the Supreme Court by President George W. Bush in 2005, and he has served as Chief Justice since 2009.
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas was born in Pin Point, Georgia in 1948. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School, and worked as an attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before being appointed to the Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Thomas is the longest-serving justice on the current court.
Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1950. He graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School, and clerked for Justice Byron White before entering private practice. Alito was appointed to the Supreme Court by President George W. Bush in 2006.
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York in 1954. She graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School, and worked as a prosecutor and a judge before being appointed to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009.
Associate Justice Elena Kagan
Associate Justice Elena Kagan was born in New York City in 1960. She graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, and clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall before entering academia. Kagan served as Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 to 2010, and was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2010.
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch was born in Denver, Colorado in 1967. He graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy before entering private practice. Gorsuch was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2017.
Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh
Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh was born in Washington, D.C. in 1965. He graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School, and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy before entering private practice. Kavanaugh served as White House Counsel to President George W. Bush from 2003 to 2006, and was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2018.
Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett
Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972. She graduated from Rhodes College and Notre Dame Law School, and clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia before entering academia. Barrett was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2020.
Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. in 1970. She graduated from Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer before entering private practice. Jackson was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden in 2022.
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