List of United States Supreme Court justices by time in office
A total of 115 people have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest judicial body in the United States, since it was established in 1789. Supreme Court justices have life tenure, and so they serve until they die, resign, retire, or are impeached and removed from office. For the 106 non-incumbent justices, the average length of service was 6,203 days (16 years, 359 days).[1][upper-alpha 1] Their length of service ranges from William O. Douglas's 13,358 days (Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.) on the Court to the 163-day tenure of Thomas Johnson. Among the current members of the Court, Clarence Thomas's tenure of Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. days (Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.)[upper-alpha 2] is the longest, while Amy Coney Barrett's Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] is the shortest.
The table below ranks all United States Supreme Court Justices by time in office.[upper-alpha 3] For five individuals confirmed for associate justice, and later served as chief justice —Charles Evans Hughes, William Rehnquist, John Rutledge, Harlan F. Stone, and Edward Douglass White—their cumulative length of service on the Court is measured. The basis of the ranking is the difference between dates; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater, with the exception of Charles Evans Hughes and John Rutledge, who would receive two days, as each served on the Court twice (their service as associate justice and as chief justice was separated by a period of years off the Court). The start date given for each justice is the day they took the prescribed oath of office, with the end date being the date of the justice's death, resignation, or retirement. A highlighted row indicates a justice currently serving on the Court.
Justices by time in office
Longest Supreme Court tenure
|
|
![]() 13,358 days
(1939–1975) |
![]() 12,614 days
(1863–1897) |
Shortest Supreme Court tenure
|
|
![]() 452 days
(1941–1942) |
![]() 163 days
(1792–1793) |
Rank | Justice | Length in days |
Start date[3] | End date[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William O. Douglas | 13,358 | April 17, 1939 | November 12, 1975 |
2 | Stephen Johnson Field | 12,614 | May 20, 1863 | December 1, 1897 |
3 | John Paul Stevens | 12,611 | December 19, 1975 | June 29, 2010 |
4 | John Marshall (CJ) | 12,570 | February 4, 1801 | July 6, 1835 |
5 | Hugo Black | 12,447 | August 19, 1937 | September 17, 1971 |
6 | John Marshall Harlan | 12,360 | December 10, 1877 | October 14, 1911 |
7 | William J. Brennan Jr. | 12,330 | October 16, 1956 | July 20, 1990 |
8 | William Rehnquist (CJ) | 12,293[upper-alpha 4] | January 7, 1972 September 26, 1986 |
September 26, 1986 September 3, 2005 |
9 | Joseph Story | 12,273 | February 3, 1812 | September 10, 1845 |
10 | James Moore Wayne | 11,860 | January 14, 1835 | July 5, 1867 |
11 | John McLean | 11,406 | January 11, 1830 | April 4, 1861 |
12 | Byron White | 11,396 | April 16, 1962 | June 28, 1993 |
13 | Bushrod Washington | 11,339 | November 9, 1798 | November 26, 1829 |
14 | Anthony Kennedy | 11,121 | February 18, 1988 | July 31, 2018 |
15 | William Johnson | 11,046 | May 7, 1804 | August 4, 1834 |
16 | Clarence Thomas | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | October 23, 1991 | Incumbent |
17 | Antonin Scalia | 10,732 | September 26, 1986 | February 13, 2016 |
18 | Oliver Wendell Holmes | 10,627 | December 8, 1902 | January 12, 1932 |
19 | Roger B. Taney (CJ) | 10,425 | March 28, 1836 | October 12, 1864 |
20 | Samuel Freeman Miller | 10,311 | July 21, 1862 | October 13, 1890 |
21 | John Catron | 10,256 | May 1, 1837 | May 30, 1865 |
22 | Samuel Nelson | 10,136 | February 27, 1845 | November 28, 1872 |
23 | Edward Douglass White (CJ) | 9,929[upper-alpha 5] | March 12, 1894 December 19, 1910 |
December 19, 1910 May 19, 1921 |
24 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 9,901 | August 10, 1993 | September 18, 2020 |
25 | Joseph McKenna | 9,840 | January 26, 1898 | January 5, 1925 |
26 | Stephen Breyer | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | August 3, 1994 | Incumbent |
27 | Willis Van Devanter | 9,647 | January 3, 1911 | June 2, 1937 |
28 | James Clark McReynolds | 9,608 | October 12, 1914 | January 31, 1941 |
29 | Sandra Day O'Connor | 8,894 | September 25, 1981 | January 31, 2006 |
30 | Harry Blackmun | 8,821 | June 9, 1970 | August 3, 1994 |
31 | Thurgood Marshall | 8,765 | October 2, 1967 | October 1, 1991 |
32 | Felix Frankfurter | 8,611 | January 30, 1939 | August 28, 1962 |
33 | Nathan Clifford | 8,586 | January 21, 1858 | July 25, 1881 |
34 | Robert Cooper Grier | 8,575 | August 10, 1846 | January 31, 1870 |
35 | Gabriel Duvall | 8,453 | November 23, 1811 | January 14, 1835 |
36 | Potter Stewart | 8,298 | October 14, 1958 | July 3, 1981 |
37 | Louis Brandeis | 8,288 | June 5, 1916 | February 13, 1939 |
38 | Joseph P. Bradley | 7,975 | March 23, 1870 | January 22, 1892 |
39 | Melville Fuller (CJ) | 7,938 | October 8, 1888 | July 4, 1910 |
40 | Harlan F. Stone (CJ) | 7,721[upper-alpha 6] | March 2, 1925 July 3, 1941 |
July 2, 1941 April 22, 1946 |
41 | Horace Gray | 7,553 | January 9, 1882 | September 15, 1902 |
42 | William Cushing | 7,527 | February 2, 1790 | September 13, 1810 |
43 | Smith Thompson | 7,413 | September 1, 1823 | December 18, 1843 |
44 | David Josiah Brewer | 7,385 | January 6, 1890 | March 28, 1910 |
45 | William R. Day | 7,196 | March 2, 1903 | November 13, 1922 |
46 | Stanley Forman Reed | 6,965 | January 31, 1938 | February 25, 1957 |
47 | Noah Haynes Swayne | 6,937 | January 27, 1862 | January 24, 1881 |
48 | Thomas Todd | 6,854 | May 4, 1807 | February 7, 1826 |
49 | David Souter | 6,838 | October 9, 1990 | June 29, 2009 |
50 | Peter Vivian Daniel | 6,716 | January 10, 1842 | May 31, 1860 |
51 | Tom C. Clark | 6,501 | August 24, 1949 | June 12, 1967 |
52 | Warren E. Burger (CJ) | 6,304 | June 23, 1969 | September 26, 1986 |
53 | Charles Evans Hughes (CJ) | 6,214[upper-alpha 7] | October 10, 1910 February 24, 1930 |
June 10, 1916 June 30, 1941 |
54 | Pierce Butler | 6,162 | January 2, 1923 | November 16, 1939 |
55 | John Marshall Harlan II | 6,023 | March 28, 1955 | September 23, 1971 |
56 | Henry Brockholst Livingston | 5,901 | January 20, 1807 | March 18, 1823 |
57 | John Roberts (CJ) | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | September 29, 2005 | Incumbent |
58 | Earl Warren (CJ) | 5,740 | October 5, 1953 | June 23, 1969 |
59 | Lewis Franklin Powell | 5,649 | January 7, 1972 | June 26, 1987 |
60 | Samuel Alito | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | January 31, 2006 | Incumbent |
61 | Henry Billings Brown | 5,621 | January 5, 1891 | May 28, 1906 |
62 | Samuel Chase | 5,613 | February 4, 1796 | June 19, 1811 |
63 | George Sutherland | 5,586 | October 2, 1922 | January 17, 1938 |
64 | Owen Roberts | 5,538 | June 2, 1930 | July 31, 1945 |
65 | John McKinley | 5,305 | January 9, 1838 | July 19, 1852 |
66 | Henry Baldwin | 5,207 | January 18, 1830 | April 21, 1844 |
67 | David Davis | 5,198 | December 10, 1862 | March 4, 1877 |
68 | Morrison Waite (CJ) | 5,133 | March 4, 1874 | March 23, 1888 |
69 | Rufus W. Peckham | 5,039 | January 6, 1896 | October 24, 1909 |
70 | William Paterson | 4,929 | March 11, 1793 | September 9, 1806 |
71 | Robert H. Jackson | 4,838 | July 11, 1941 | October 9, 1954 |
72 | Harold Hitz Burton | 4,760 | October 1, 1945 | October 13, 1958 |
73 | Sonia Sotomayor | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | August 8, 2009 | Incumbent |
74 | Samuel Blatchford | 4,113 | April 3, 1882 | July 7, 1893 |
75 | Elena Kagan | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | August 7, 2010 | Incumbent |
76 | Mahlon Pitney | 3,940 | March 18, 1912 | December 31, 1922 |
77 | William Strong | 3,928 | March 14, 1870 | December 14, 1880 |
78 | George Shiras Jr. | 3,787 | October 10, 1892 | February 23, 1903 |
79 | Frank Murphy | 3,452 | February 5, 1940 | July 19, 1949 |
80 | James Iredell | 3,448 | May 12, 1790 | October 20, 1799 |
81 | Ward Hunt | 3,305 | January 9, 1873 | January 27, 1882 |
82 | James Wilson | 3,242 | October 5, 1789 | August 21, 1798 |
83 | William Howard Taft (CJ) | 3,129 | July 11, 1921 | February 3, 1930 |
84 | Salmon P. Chase (CJ) | 3,065 | December 15, 1864 | May 7, 1873 |
85 | John Archibald Campbell | 2,941 | April 11, 1853 | April 30, 1861 |
86 | Stanley Matthews | 2,866 | May 17, 1881 | March 22, 1889 |
87 | Fred M. Vinson (CJ) | 2,633 | June 24, 1946 | September 8, 1953 |
88 | Edward Terry Sanford | 2,574 | February 19, 1923 | March 8, 1930 |
89 | Sherman Minton | 2,560 | October 12, 1949 | October 15, 1956 |
90 | Wiley Blount Rutledge | 2,399 | February 15, 1943 | September 10, 1949 |
91 | William Burnham Woods | 2,320 | January 5, 1881 | May 14, 1887 |
92 | Benjamin N. Cardozo | 2,308 | March 14, 1932 | July 9, 1938 |
93 | Benjamin Robbins Curtis | 2,182 | October 10, 1851 | September 30, 1857 |
94 | Levi Woodbury | 2,172 | September 23, 1845 | September 4, 1851 |
95 | John Hessin Clarke | 2,170 | October 9, 1916 | September 18, 1922 |
96 | John Blair | 2,091 | February 2, 1790 | October 25, 1795 |
97 | John Jay (CJ) | 2,079 | October 19, 1789 | June 29, 1795 |
98 (tie) | Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar | 1,832 | January 18, 1888 | January 23, 1893 |
Charles Evans Whittaker | 1,832 | March 25, 1957 | March 31, 1962 | |
100 | Joseph Rucker Lamar | 1,825 | January 3, 1911 | January 2, 1916 |
101 | Philip P. Barbour | 1,750 | May 12, 1836 | February 25, 1841 |
102 | Oliver Ellsworth (CJ) | 1,742 | March 8, 1796 | December 15, 1800 |
103 | Horace Harmon Lurton | 1,651 | January 3, 1910 | July 12, 1914 |
104 | Neil Gorsuch | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | April 10, 2017 | Incumbent |
105 | William Henry Moody | 1,434 | December 17, 1906 | November 20, 1910 |
106 | Alfred Moore | 1,375 | April 21, 1800 | January 26, 1804 |
107 | Abe Fortas | 1,318 | October 4, 1965 | May 14, 1969 |
108 | Arthur Goldberg | 1,028 | October 1, 1962 | July 25, 1965 |
109 | Brett Kavanaugh | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | October 6, 2018 | Incumbent |
110 | Howell Edmunds Jackson | 887 | March 4, 1893 | August 8, 1895 |
111 | Robert Trimble | 801 | June 16, 1826 | August 25, 1828 |
112 | John Rutledge (CJ) | 521[upper-alpha 8] | February 15, 1790 August 12, 1795 |
March 5, 1791 December 28, 1795 |
113 | James F. Byrnes | 452 | July 8, 1941 | October 3, 1942 |
114 | Amy Coney Barrett | Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.[upper-alpha 2] | October 27, 2020 | Incumbent |
115 | Thomas Johnson | 163 | August 6, 1792 | January 16, 1793 |
Notes
- ↑ Average tenure in office has increased significantly over the past half-century. In 1970, the average tenure in office (for the 89 justices who had left the Court prior to 1970) was about fifteen years.[2]
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 As of September 4, 2024
- ↑ A nominee who was confirmed by the United States Senate but declined to serve, such as Robert H. Harrison, or who died before taking the necessary steps toward becoming a member of the Court, such as Edwin Stanton, is not considered to have served as a justice, and thus not included on this list.[3]
- ↑ Length of tenure includes 5,376 days' service as associate justice and 6,917 days as chief justice.
- ↑ Length of tenure includes 6,125 days' service as associate justice and 3,804 days as chief justice.
- ↑ Length of tenure includes 5,966 days' service as associate justice and 1,754 days as chief justice.
- ↑ Length of tenure includes 2,070 days' service as associate justice and 4,144 days as chief justice.
- ↑ Length of tenure includes Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. days service as associate justice and Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. days as chief justice.
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 United States federal judges by longevity of service