The Supreme Court
Nine justices serving for life: 6 appointed by Republican presidents and 3 by Democratic presidents. As of November 2026 there is no vacancy.
| Justice | Appointed by | Joined | Years on the Court | Senate vote | Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John G. Roberts Jr. · Chief Justice | George W. Bush | Sep 29, 2005 | 21 | 78–22 | 1955 |
| Clarence Thomas | George H. W. Bush | Oct 23, 1991 | 35 | 52–48 | 1948 |
| Samuel A. Alito Jr. | George W. Bush | Jan 31, 2006 | 21 | 58–42 | 1950 |
| Sonia Sotomayor | Barack Obama | Aug 8, 2009 | 17 | 68–31 | 1954 |
| Elena Kagan | Barack Obama | Aug 7, 2010 | 16 | 63–37 | 1960 |
| Neil M. Gorsuch | Donald Trump | Apr 10, 2017 | 10 | 54–45 | 1967 |
| Brett M. Kavanaugh | Donald Trump | Oct 6, 2018 | 8 | 50–48 | 1965 |
| Amy Coney Barrett | Donald Trump | Oct 27, 2020 | 6 | 52–48 | 1972 |
| Ketanji Brown Jackson | Joe Biden | Jun 30, 2022 | 4 | 53–47 | 1970 |
Questions and answers
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Nine: a chief justice and eight associate justices. The number is set by an act of Congress, not the Constitution; it has been nine since 1869.
How is a justice appointed?
The president nominates and the Senate confirms by a simple majority; since 2017 there's no 60-vote filibuster threshold.
How long do justices serve?
For life: justices serve until they die, retire or resign, or are removed by impeachment.
How the filibuster works · All 100 senators
Sources: Supreme Court of the United States, "Current Members"; U.S. Senate, confirmation votes.