Biographies

When Justice Lewis Powell, Jr. resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court, federal court of appeals judge Anthony Kennedy became President Ronald Reagan’s third appointment to fill the vacancy.

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in what is now Albemarle County, Virginia, and died at Monticello, Virginia, on July 4, 1826. Jefferson is best known as the author of the Declaration of Independence and as the third president of the United States.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933– )

In 1993, President Clinton appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Felix J. Frankfurter (1882–1965)

Felix Frankfurter served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 until 1962. Prior to his appointment to the Court, he held positions with the federal government, was a respected professor of law, and was a renowned civil libertarian.

William O. Douglas

Justice William O. Douglas holds the record for service on the U.S. Supreme Court, 36 years and 7 months, longer than any other justice in Court history.

Clarence S. Darrow (1857–1938)

Clarence S. Darrow rode to fame in education law with his unusual defense of high school teacher John T. Scopes in the infamous “Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925.

Warren E. Burger (1907–1995)

To many observers, the appointment of Warren E. Burger to chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon signified a conservative counterresponse to the oft-characterized liberal judicial activism of the Court when it was led by Chief Justice Earl Warren.

Stephen G. Breyer (1938–)

Stephen G. Breyer was President Bill Clinton’s second appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Breyer brought with him a wealth of experience in government service and as a federal appellate court judge.

William J. Brennan (1906–1997)

Many legal scholars consider William Brennan to be one of the greatest Supreme Court justices of the 20th century.

Hugo L. Black (1886–1971)

Hugo Lafayette Black served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from August 17, 1937, to September 17, 1971.

Samuel A. Alito, Jr.

Samuel A. Alito, Jr., is the 110th person appointed as justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, an honor that is the capstone of a distinguished career in public service.