List of United States Supreme Court Justices by time in office
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A total of 112 Justices have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest judicial body in the United States. Justices have life tenure, and so serve until they die in office, resign or retire, or are impeached and removed from office (which has never happened; the one impeached Justice was acquitted). The longest-serving member of the current court is Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, with a term to date of 10,521 days (28 years). For the 103 non-incumbent justices, the mean length of service was 6,112 days (16.7 years) with a standard deviation of 3,620 days (9.9 years). The median length of service was 5,740 days (15.7 years). Their period of service ranges from William O. Douglas's 13,358 days (36 years) on the Court to the 163-day tenure of Thomas Johnson.
A nominee who was confirmed by the United States Senate but declined to serve, such as Robert H. Harrison, or who died before taking his seat, such as Edwin M. Stanton, is not considered to have served as a Justice.[1][2] The Term Start date is the day the Justice took the oath of office,[1] with the Term End date being the date of the Justice's death, resignation, or retirement.[1] A highlighted row indicates that the Justice is currently serving on the Court.[3]
Justices
*Chief Justice
†Term as Associate Justice and Chief Justice combined
Rank by length of term | Justice | Term in days | Term Start[1] | Term End[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Douglas, William O.William O. Douglas | 13,358 | April 17, 1939 | November 12, 1975 |
2 | Field, Stephen JohnsonStephen Johnson Field | 12,614 | May 20, 1863 | December 1, 1897 |
3 | Stevens, John PaulJohn Paul Stevens | 12,611 | December 19, 1975 | June 29, 2010 |
4 | Marshall, JohnJohn Marshall* | 12,570 | February 4, 1801 | July 6, 1835 |
5 | Black, HugoHugo Black | 12,447 | August 19, 1937 | September 17, 1971 |
6 | Harlan, John MarshallJohn Marshall Harlan | 12,360 | December 10, 1877 | October 14, 1911 |
7 | Brennan, Jr., William J.William J. Brennan, Jr. | 12,330 | October 16, 1956 | July 20, 1990 |
8 | Rehnquist, WilliamWilliam Rehnquist* | 12,293† | January 7, 1972 | September 3, 2005† |
9 | Story, JosephJoseph Story | 12,273 | February 3, 1812 | September 10, 1845 |
10 | Wayne, James MooreJames Moore Wayne | 11,860 | January 14, 1835 | July 5, 1867 |
11 | McLean, JohnJohn McLean | 11,406 | January 11, 1830 | April 4, 1861 |
12 | White, ByronByron White | 11,396 | April 16, 1962 | June 28, 1993 |
13 | Washington, BushrodBushrod Washington | 11,252 | February 4, 1799 | November 26, 1829 |
14 | Johnson, WilliamWilliam Johnson | 11,046 | May 7, 1804 | August 4, 1834 |
15 | Scalia, AntoninAntonin Scalia | 10,732 | September 26, 1986 | February 13, 2016 |
16 | Holmes, Oliver WendellOliver Wendell Holmes | 10,627 | December 8, 1902 | January 12, 1932 |
17 | Kennedy, AnthonyAnthony Kennedy | 10,521 | February 18, 1988 | Incumbent |
18 | Taney, Roger B.Roger B. Taney* | 10,425 | March 28, 1836 | October 12, 1864 |
19 | Miller, Samuel FreemanSamuel Freeman Miller | 10,311 | July 21, 1862 | October 13, 1890 |
20 | Catron, JohnJohn Catron | 10,256 | May 1, 1837 | May 30, 1865 |
21 | Nelson, SamuelSamuel Nelson | 10,136 | February 27, 1845 | November 28, 1872 |
22 | White, Edward DouglassEdward Douglass White* | 9,929† | March 12, 1894 | May 19, 1921† |
23 | McKenna, JosephJoseph McKenna | 9,840 | January 26, 1898 | January 5, 1925 |
24 | Van Devanter, WillisWillis Van Devanter | 9,647 | January 3, 1911 | June 2, 1937 |
25 | McReynolds, James ClarkJames Clark McReynolds | 9,608 | October 12, 1914 | January 31, 1941 |
26 | Thomas, ClarenceClarence Thomas | 9,178 | October 23, 1991 | Incumbent |
27 | O'Connor, Sandra DaySandra Day O'Connor | 8,894 | September 25, 1981 | January 31, 2006 |
28 | Blackmun, HarryHarry Blackmun | 8,821 | June 9, 1970 | August 3, 1994 |
29 | Marshall, ThurgoodThurgood Marshall | 8,765 | October 2, 1967 | October 1, 1991 |
30 | Frankfurter, FelixFelix Frankfurter | 8,611 | January 30, 1939 | August 28, 1962 |
31 | Clifford, NathanNathan Clifford | 8,586 | January 21, 1858 | July 25, 1881 |
32 | Grier, Robert CooperRobert Cooper Grier | 8,575 | August 10, 1846 | January 31, 1870 |
33 | Ginsburg, Ruth BaderRuth Bader Ginsburg | 8,521 | August 10, 1993 | Incumbent |
34 | Duvall, GabrielGabriel Duvall | 8,453 | November 23, 1811 | January 14, 1835 |
35 | Stewart, PotterPotter Stewart | 8,298 | October 14, 1958 | July 3, 1981 |
36 | Brandeis, LouisLouis Brandeis | 8,288 | June 5, 1916 | February 13, 1939 |
37 | Breyer, StephenStephen Breyer | 8,163 | August 3, 1994 | Incumbent |
38 | Bradley, Joseph P.Joseph P. Bradley | 7,975 | March 23, 1870 | January 22, 1892 |
39 | Fuller, MelvilleMelville Fuller* | 7,938 | October 8, 1888 | July 4, 1910 |
40 | Stone, Harlan F.Harlan F. Stone* | 7,721† | March 2, 1925 | April 22, 1946† |
41 | Gray, HoraceHorace Gray | 7,553 | January 9, 1882 | September 15, 1902 |
42 | Cushing, WilliamWilliam Cushing | 7,527 | February 2, 1790 | September 13, 1810 |
43 | Thompson, SmithSmith Thompson | 7,413 | September 1, 1823 | December 18, 1843 |
44 | Brewer, David JosiahDavid Josiah Brewer | 7,385 | January 6, 1890 | March 28, 1910 |
45 | Day, William R.William R. Day | 7,196 | March 2, 1903 | November 13, 1922 |
46 | Reed, Stanley FormanStanley Forman Reed | 6,965 | January 31, 1938 | February 25, 1957 |
47 | Swayne, Noah HaynesNoah Haynes Swayne | 6,937 | January 27, 1862 | January 24, 1881 |
48 | Todd, ThomasThomas Todd | 6,854 | May 4, 1807 | February 7, 1826 |
49 | Souter, DavidDavid Souter | 6,838 | October 9, 1990 | June 29, 2009 |
50 | Daniel, Peter VivianPeter Vivian Daniel | 6,716 | January 10, 1842 | May 31, 1860 |
51 | Clark, Tom C.Tom C. Clark | 6,501 | August 24, 1949 | June 12, 1967 |
52 | Burger, Warren E.Warren E. Burger* | 6,304 | June 23, 1969 | September 26, 1986 |
53 | Hughes, Charles EvansCharles Evans Hughes* | 6,214† | October 10, 1910 February 24, 1930* | June 10, 1916 June 30, 1941* |
54 | Butler, PiercePierce Butler | 6,162 | January 2, 1923 | November 16, 1939 |
55 | Harlan II, John MarshallJohn Marshall Harlan II | 6,023 | March 28, 1955 | September 23, 1971 |
56 | Livingston, Henry BrockholstHenry Brockholst Livingston | 5,901 | January 20, 1807 | March 18, 1823 |
57 | Warren, EarlEarl Warren* | 5,740 | October 5, 1953 | June 23, 1969 |
58 | Powell, Lewis FranklinLewis Franklin Powell | 5,649 | January 7, 1972 | June 26, 1987 |
59 | Brown, Henry BillingsHenry Billings Brown | 5,621 | January 5, 1891 | May 28, 1906 |
60 | Chase, SamuelSamuel Chase | 5,613 | February 4, 1796 | June 19, 1811 |
61 | Sutherland, GeorgeGeorge Sutherland | 5,586 | October 2, 1922 | January 17, 1938 |
62 | Roberts, OwenOwen Roberts | 5,538 | June 2, 1930 | July 31, 1945 |
63 | McKinley, JohnJohn McKinley | 5,305 | January 9, 1838 | July 19, 1852 |
64 | Baldwin, HenryHenry Baldwin | 5,207 | January 18, 1830 | April 21, 1844 |
65 | Davis, DavidDavid Davis | 5,198 | December 10, 1862 | March 4, 1877 |
66 | Waite, MorrisonMorrison Waite* | 5,133 | March 4, 1874 | March 23, 1888 |
67 | Peckham, Rufus WheelerRufus Wheeler Peckham | 5,039 | January 6, 1896 | October 24, 1909 |
68 | Paterson, WilliamWilliam Paterson | 4,929 | March 11, 1793 | September 9, 1806 |
69 | Jackson, Robert H.Robert H. Jackson | 4,838 | July 11, 1941 | October 9, 1954 |
70 | Burton, Harold HitzHarold Hitz Burton | 4,760 | October 1, 1945 | October 13, 1958 |
71 | Blatchford, SamuelSamuel Blatchford | 4,113 | April 3, 1882 | July 7, 1893 |
72 | Roberts, JohnJohn Roberts* | 4,088 | September 29, 2005 | Incumbent |
73 | Alito, SamuelSamuel Alito | 3,964 | January 31, 2006 | Incumbent |
74 | Pitney, MahlonMahlon Pitney | 3,940 | March 18, 1912 | December 31, 1922 |
75 | Strong, WilliamWilliam Strong | 3,928 | March 14, 1870 | December 14, 1880 |
76 | Shiras, Jr., GeorgeGeorge Shiras, Jr. | 3,787 | October 10, 1892 | February 23, 1903 |
77 | Murphy, FrankFrank Murphy | 3,452 | February 5, 1940 | July 19, 1949 |
78 | Iredell, JamesJames Iredell | 3,448 | May 12, 1790 | October 20, 1799 |
79 | Hunt, WardWard Hunt | 3,305 | January 9, 1873 | January 27, 1882 |
80 | Wilson, JamesJames Wilson | 3,242 | October 5, 1789 | August 21, 1798 |
81 | Taft, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft* | 3,129 | July 11, 1921 | February 3, 1930 |
82 | Chase, Salmon P.Salmon P. Chase* | 3,065 | December 15, 1864 | May 7, 1873 |
83 | Campbell, John ArchibaldJohn Archibald Campbell | 2,941 | April 11, 1853 | April 30, 1861 |
84 | Matthews, StanleyStanley Matthews | 2,866 | May 17, 1881 | March 22, 1889 |
85 | Sotomayor, SoniaSonia Sotomayor | 2,679 | August 8, 2009 | Incumbent |
86 | Vinson, Fred M.Fred M. Vinson* | 2,633 | June 24, 1946 | September 8, 1953 |
87 | Sanford, Edward TerryEdward Terry Sanford | 2,574 | February 19, 1923 | March 8, 1930 |
88 | Minton, ShermanSherman Minton | 2,560 | October 12, 1949 | October 15, 1956 |
89 | Rutledge, Wiley BlountWiley Blount Rutledge | 2,399 | February 15, 1943 | September 10, 1949 |
90 | Woods, William BurnhamWilliam Burnham Woods | 2,320 | January 5, 1881 | May 14, 1887 |
91 | Kagan, ElenaElena Kagan | 2,315 | August 7, 2010 | Incumbent |
92 | Cardozo, Benjamin N.Benjamin N. Cardozo | 2,308 | March 14, 1932 | July 9, 1938 |
93 | Curtis, Benjamin RobbinsBenjamin Robbins Curtis | 2,182 | October 10, 1851 | September 30, 1857 |
94 | Woodbury, LeviLevi Woodbury | 2,172 | September 23, 1845 | September 4, 1851 |
95 | Clarke, John HessinJohn Hessin Clarke | 2,170 | October 9, 1916 | September 18, 1922 |
96 | Blair, JohnJohn Blair | 2,091 | February 2, 1790 | October 25, 1795 |
97 | Jay, JohnJohn Jay* | 2,079 | October 19, 1789 | June 29, 1795 |
98 (tie) | Lamar, Lucius Quintus CincinnatusLucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar | 1,832 | January 18, 1888 | January 23, 1893 |
98 (tie) | Whittaker, Charles EvansCharles Evans Whittaker | 1,832 | March 25, 1957 | March 31, 1962 |
100 | Lamar, Joseph RuckerJoseph Rucker Lamar | 1,825 | January 3, 1911 | January 2, 1916 |
101 | Barbour, Philip PendletonPhilip Pendleton Barbour | 1,750 | May 12, 1836 | February 25, 1841 |
102 | Ellsworth, OliverOliver Ellsworth* | 1,742 | March 8, 1796 | December 15, 1800 |
103 | Lurton, Horace HarmonHorace Harmon Lurton | 1,651 | January 3, 1910 | July 12, 1914 |
104 | Moody, William HenryWilliam Henry Moody | 1,434 | December 17, 1906 | November 20, 1910 |
105 | Moore, AlfredAlfred Moore | 1,375 | April 21, 1800 | January 26, 1804 |
106 | Fortas, AbeAbe Fortas | 1,318 | October 4, 1965 | May 14, 1969 |
107 | Goldberg, ArthurArthur Goldberg | 1,028 | October 1, 1962 | July 25, 1965 |
108 | Jackson, Howell EdmundsHowell Edmunds Jackson | 887 | March 4, 1893 | August 8, 1895 |
109 | Trimble, RobertRobert Trimble | 801 | June 16, 1826 | August 25, 1828 |
110 | Rutledge, JohnJohn Rutledge* | 563† | February 15, 1790 July 1, 1795* | December 28, 1795* | March 5, 1791
111 | Byrnes, James F.James F. Byrnes | 452 | July 8, 1941 | October 3, 1942 |
112 | Johnson, ThomasThomas Johnson | 163 | August 6, 1792 | January 16, 1793 |
See also
- List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
- List of law schools attended by United States Supreme Court Justices
- List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by seat
- List of Chief Justices of the United States by time in office
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Members of the Supreme Court from the Supreme Court of the United States" (PDF). Official website of the Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ↑ Stanton took the oath of office on his death bed, but according to the Supreme Court Historical Society, he never took "the necessary steps toward becoming a Member of the Court."
- ↑ "Judges of the United States Courts". Official website of the Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007.