⚖️ Judicial Branch

Supreme Court Justices

Every one of the 116 people to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court since it first convened in 1789, appointed for life under Article III of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary and the final word on questions of federal and constitutional law — there is no appeal beyond it. It's made up of nine justices: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, each nominated by the president and confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. Once confirmed, a justice serves for life, or until they choose to retire or resign, which the Constitution's framers designed specifically to insulate the Court from short-term political pressure. The Court hears a small fraction of the cases appealed to it each year — typically 60 to 70 — chosen largely because they raise a significant, unresolved question of federal law or a conflict between lower courts.