U.S. Supreme Court / Appointed 1971 / Served to 1987
Portrait of Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.

Lewis Franklin Powell Jr.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Appointed by President Richard M. Nixon in 1971 and confirmed by the Senate 891, Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. was an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1931. Sources — FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, December 6, 1971

Appointed by
Richard M. Nixon, 1971
Confirmed
89–1
Education
Washington and Lee 1929 · Washington and Lee Law 1931
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1971Supreme Court · succeeded Hugo Lafayette BlackNixon (R)89–1

A per-senator roll-call isn’t available for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many earlier justices were confirmed by voice vote.

Education
Washington and Lee UniversityB.S.1929
Washington and Lee University School of LawLL.B.1931
Harvard Law SchoolLL.M.1932
Sources

15 years on the Court. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).