Supreme Court of the United States
About the Supreme Court of the United States
Article III of the US Constitution articulates the powers of the judiciary and establishes the Supreme Court of the United States. Congress was empowered to determine the structure of the federal court system, including identifying the number of trial courts, appeals courts, and special courts, and even to set the number of justices who sit on the Supreme Court (currently 9). The President of the United States nominates justices, and appointments are made with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The primary task of the Supreme Court is to rule on appeals of decisions made by the federal circuit courts, as well as special cases, such as border disputes between the states. For more information on the Supreme Court, click here. For a history of decisions on reproductive rights, click here.
There are currently nine seats on the Supreme Court—one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.
Pending Nominees to the Supreme Court of the United States
None.
Current members of the US Supreme Court:
Chief Justice of the United States:
- John G. Roberts, Jr., appointed 9/29/05 by President George W. Bush
Associate Justices:
- John Paul Stevens, appointed 12/17/75 by President Gerald Ford
- Antonin J. Scalia, appointed 9/25/86 by President Ronald Reagan
- Anthony M. Kennedy, appointed 2/11/88 by President Ronald Reagan
- Clarence Thomas, appointed 10/18/91 by President George Bush
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed 8/5/93 by President William Clinton
- Stephen G. Breyer, appointed 8/3/94 by President William Clinton
- Samuel A. Alito, Jr., appointed 1/31/06 by President George W. Bush
- Sonia Sotomayor, appointed 5/26/09 by President Barack Obama
- Elena Kagan, appointed 8/7/10 by President Barack Obama