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. This lineup has held steady since Justice Jackson joined the Court in 2022.1Supreme Court of the United States. Justices All nine serve lifetime appointments and together decide the roughly 70 to 80 cases the Court hears each term.2United States Courts. Supreme Court Procedures
The Nine Justices in Order of Seniority
Federal law fixes the Court at one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, with any six forming a quorum.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 28 – 1 The nine-seat bench has been in place since 1869.4Supreme Court of the United States. The Court as an Institution
- Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.
- Clarence Thomas, most senior Associate Justice
- Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Elena Kagan
- Neil M. Gorsuch
- Brett M. Kavanaugh
- Amy Coney Barrett
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, most junior Associate Justice
Why Seniority Matters
Seniority among the associate justices is more than ceremonial. It sets seating on the bench during oral arguments, with the Chief Justice at the center and the others arranged outward in alternating order. It controls the speaking order in the private conference where cases are discussed and preliminary votes taken. And it determines who assigns the majority opinion when the Chief Justice is in dissent: in that situation, the most senior justice on the winning side makes the assignment.5The Supreme Court Opinion Writing Database. The Opinion-Writing Process Although the Chief Justice carries significant administrative responsibilities, their vote on any given case counts the same as every other justice’s.
How Each Justice Got There
Article II, Section 2 gives the President the power to nominate justices “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate.”6Constitution Annotated. Article II Section 2 After a nomination is submitted, the Senate Judiciary Committee holds public hearings where senators question the nominee about their legal philosophy and judicial record, then votes on whether to send the nomination to the full Senate floor.
Confirmation requires a simple majority of senators present and voting. Until 2017, opponents could delay a floor vote by filibustering, which required 60 votes to overcome. The Senate changed its rules that year so that cloture on Supreme Court nominations can be invoked by a simple majority.7Congressional Research Service. Senate Proceedings Establishing Majority Cloture for Supreme Court Nominations Every justice confirmed since that change, from Justice Gorsuch forward, has been seated under the current simple-majority threshold.
Article III itself sets no qualifications for the job. There is no minimum age, no educational requirement, no mandate for prior judicial experience, and no requirement that a justice be a licensed attorney or even a natural-born citizen.8Supreme Court of the United States. Frequently Asked Questions – General Information In practice, every person who has ever served has been trained in the law, and the current nine all arrived with substantial federal appellate or senior government legal experience.
How Long They Stay
Article III, Section 1 provides that justices “shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour,” which in practice means they serve for life.9Constitution Annotated. ArtIII.S1.10.2.1 Overview of Good Behavior Clause A justice’s service ends when they voluntarily retire, resign, or die. The Constitution also forbids Congress from reducing a sitting justice’s salary, which insulates the bench from political pressure.10Constitution Annotated. Constitution of the United States – Article III
Justices who want to step down without simply resigning can retire at full salary under 28 U.S.C. § 371 if they meet combined age-and-service requirements on a sliding scale: age 65 with 15 years of service, 66 with 14, and so on down to 70 with 10 years.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 28 – 371 A retired justice keeps the title, continues to receive their salary, and may be designated to sit on lower federal courts.
The only constitutional path to removing a justice is impeachment. The House must approve articles by simple majority, and the Senate must then convict by a two-thirds supermajority.12United States Senate. About Impeachment No justice has ever been removed. The only one ever impeached was Samuel Chase in 1804, and the Senate acquitted him the following year.13Federal Judicial Center. Samuel Chase Impeached
What They Earn
As of January 1, 2026, the Chief Justice earns $320,700 per year, and each Associate Justice earns $306,600.14Federal Judicial Center. Judicial Salaries – Supreme Court Justices Congress can authorize cost-of-living adjustments but cannot cut a sitting justice’s pay.
How the Nine Decide Cases
The Court’s annual term begins on the first Monday in October and typically runs through late June or early July. Oral arguments are scheduled on select Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from October through the end of April.15Supreme Court of the United States. Oral Arguments
Choosing Which Cases to Hear
The vast majority of the Court’s work begins with a petition for a writ of certiorari, which asks the justices to review a lower court’s decision. Of more than 7,000 petitions filed each year, the Court agrees to hear only about 100 to 150.2United States Courts. Supreme Court Procedures Four justices must agree to grant review, a practice known as the Rule of Four. The cases that make the cut tend to raise significant constitutional questions or resolve conflicts among federal appeals courts.
Argument, Conference, and Opinions
Both sides submit written briefs, and outside parties often file their own. At oral argument, each side typically gets 30 minutes, usually interrupted by pointed questions from the bench. The justices then meet in a private conference to discuss the case and cast preliminary votes. The Chief Justice speaks first, followed by each justice in order of seniority. Whoever ends up senior-most in the majority assigns the opinion. Drafts circulate among chambers for weeks or months, with justices free to join, concur separately, or dissent before the final opinion is issued.5The Supreme Court Opinion Writing Database. The Opinion-Writing Process
The Emergency Docket
Not every decision follows that slower rhythm. Emergency applications for stays, injunctions, and similar urgent relief move on what commentators call the “shadow docket,” with limited briefing, no oral argument, and often unsigned orders carrying little written explanation. Each justice is also assigned as Circuit Justice for one or more of the federal appellate circuits, and emergency applications from a given circuit initially go to that justice, who can act alone or refer the matter to the full Court.16Supreme Court of the United States. Circuit Assignments
Ethics and Recusal
For decades, the Supreme Court operated without a formal written ethics code, even though one had applied to all other federal judges since 1973. That changed in November 2023, when the Court adopted its own Code of Conduct. The document codifies principles the justices described as longstanding: upholding judicial integrity and independence, avoiding even the appearance of impropriety, and performing official duties impartially.17Supreme Court of the United States. Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States It prohibits justices from letting financial, political, or personal relationships influence their judgment, bars membership in organizations that discriminate based on race, sex, religion, or national origin, and restricts public commentary on pending cases. Justices also file annual financial disclosures under the Ethics in Government Act.
Federal law separately requires any justice to step aside when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. Specific triggers include personal bias toward a party, prior involvement as a lawyer or witness, and financial interests held by the justice, their spouse, or a minor child in their household.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Disqualification of Justice, Judge, or Magistrate Judge Parties cannot waive those specific grounds. If the concern falls under the broader appearance-of-impartiality standard, the parties may waive the conflict after full disclosure on the record.
Each justice decides their own recusal questions, and no external body reviews those decisions. The 2023 Code of Conduct did not change that arrangement.17Supreme Court of the United States. Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States