John Rutledge
Appointed by President George Washington and confirmed by roll call vote, John Rutledge was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1739–1800
- Appointed by
- George Washington
- Confirmed
- by roll call vote
- Succeeded
- John Jay
- Succeeded by
- Thomas Johnson
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1789 | Supreme Court | Washington (–) | Voice vote |
| 1795 | Supreme Court succeeded John Jay | Washington (–) | Roll call |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.
Confirmation vote
Voice vote
The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.
Education
| Middle Temple, London, England | ||
| Read law | 1760 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| Private practice, Charleston, South Carolina | |
| Member, South Carolina Commons House of Assembly | 1761-1776 |
| Attorney general pro tem, State of South Carolina | 1764-1765 |
| Delegate, Stamp Act Congress | 1765 |
| Delegate, Continental Congress | 1774-1776, 1782-1783 |
| Member, South Carolina Council of Safety | 1776 |
| President, South Carolina House of Representatives | 1776-1778 |
| Governor, South Carolina | 1779-1782 |
| State representative, South Carolina | 1782, 1784-1790 |
| Judge, Chancery Court of South Carolina | 1784-1790 |
| Delegate, Federal Constitutional Convention | 1787 |
| Member, South Carolina convention to ratify U.S. Constitution | 1788 |
| Chief justice, South Carolina Court of Common Pleas | 1791-1795 |
Questions & answers
- Who appointed John Rutledge?
- President George Washington appointed John Rutledge to the Supreme Court of the United States.
- Which court was John Rutledge on?
- John Rutledge was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory
- Wikidata
- Portrait: Robert C. Hinckley / After John Trumbull (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources
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Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).