John Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2005 | |
| 17th Chief Justice of the United States | |
| Assumed office September 29, 2005 | |
| Nominated by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William Rehnquist |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office June 2, 2003 – September 29, 2005 | |
| Nominated by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | James L. Buckley |
| Succeeded by | Patricia Millett |
| Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States | |
| In office October 24, 1989 – January 1993 | |
| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Donald B. Ayer |
| Succeeded by | Paul Bender |
| Associate Counsel to the President | |
| In office November 28, 1982 – April 11, 1986 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | J. Michael Luttig[1] |
| Succeeded by | Robert Kruger[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Glover Roberts Jr. January 27, 1955 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Jane Sullivan (m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 (adopted) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
| Awards | Henry J. Friendly Medal (2023) |
| Signature |  |
John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American jurist who has served since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. He has been described as having a moderate conservative judicial philosophy, though he is primarily an institutionalist.[3][4] Regarded as a swing vote in some cases,[5] Roberts has presided over an ideological shift toward conservative jurisprudence on the high court, in which he has authored key opinions.[6][7]
Born in Buffalo, New York, Roberts was raised Catholic in Northwest Indiana and studied at Harvard University with the initial intent to become a historian, graduating in three years with highest distinction, then attended Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Before holding positions in the Reagan and senior Bush administration, Roberts served as a law clerk for Judge Henry Friendly and Justice William Rehnquist. From 1989 to 1993, he was Principal Deputy Solicitor General, after which he built a leading appellate practice and argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court.[8]
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush nominated Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but the Senate did not hold a vote on his confirmation. In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Roberts to the D.C. Circuit. In 2005, Bush nominated Roberts to the Supreme Court, initially as an associate justice to fill the vacancy left by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, but promoted him to chief justice after Rehnquist's death. Roberts was confirmed by a Senate vote of 78–22, becoming the youngest to serve in the position since John Marshall.[9]
As chief justice, Roberts has authored majority opinions in many landmark cases, including National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (upholding most sections of the Affordable Care Act), Shelby County v. Holder (limiting the Voting Rights Act of 1965), Trump v. Hawaii (expanding presidential powers over immigration), Carpenter v. United States (expanding digital privacy), Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (overruling race-based admission programs), and Trump v. United States (outlining the extent of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution). Roberts also presided over the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
- ^ "Roberts, John G.: Files, 1982-1986" (PDF). Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Appointment of Robert M. Kruger as Associate Counsel to the President". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ Bassetti, Victoria (July 1, 2020). "John Roberts is an institutionalist, not a liberal". Financial Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ Rosen, Jeffrey (July 13, 2020). "John Roberts Is Just Who the Supreme Court Needed". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ Stevenson, Peter W. (May 20, 2021). "Analysis | Chief Justice John Roberts: From key swing vote to potential bystander?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ Cole, David (August 15, 2024). "The Supreme Court's Power Grab". The New York Review of Books. Vol. 71, no. 13. ISSN 0028-7504. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ "Entering a new Supreme Court term, John Roberts is as enigmatic as ever". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ Greenburg 2007, p. 186–187.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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