Supreme Court of the United States
Washington, D.C. · nine justices, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, serving for life.
The Supreme Court of the United States is the nation’s highest court. Its justices are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and serve for life. This hub lists every justice in the Court’s history, current and former.
Party letters here are the appointing president’s, never a judge’s own: D Democratic, R Republican, N pre-modern-party era (Federalist, Whig, and other early parties); “–” means no recorded party. Counts cover the court’s entire history.
Current justices
- Chief JusticeJohn G. Roberts Jr.
- Clarence Thomas
- Samuel A. Alito Jr.
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Elena Kagan
- Neil M. Gorsuch
- Brett M. Kavanaugh
- Amy C. Barrett
- Ketanji B. Jackson
Seats over time
Each band is one justiceship, from the court’s founding to today. A segment’s width is the holder’s tenure; its color is the appointing president’s party. Gaps are vacancies.
John Glover Roberts Jr. (current) · Brett M. Kavanaugh (current) · Ketanji Brown Jackson (current) · Sonia Sotomayor (current) · Elena Kagan (current) · Amy Coney Barrett (current) · Samuel A. Alito Jr. (current) · Neil M. Gorsuch (current) · Clarence Thomas (current) · William Orville Douglas · John Paul Stevens · John Marshall
Former justices
How a justice gets here. Each justice is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat for life. Open any justice to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1789. Read more on how federal judges are appointed.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data as of 2026-08-10 (FJC). Verify against the primary source before relying.