Chief Justice John G. Roberts
Supreme Court of the United States
John Glover Roberts, Jr., was born in January 1955 in Buffalo, New York. All of his maternal great-grandparents were from Czechoslovakia. When Roberts was in second grade, his family moved to the beachside town of Long Beach, Indiana, where he grew up with his three sisters.
Roberts attended Notre Dame Elementary School, and La Lumiere School, where he was an excellent student and athlete. His school activities were many including being captain of his football team, student council, and high school valedictorian. He attended Harvard College, graduating with an A.B. in history; and then attended Harvard Law School where he was the managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. He received his J.D. in 1979.
After graduating from law school, Roberts served as a law clerk for Judge Henry Friendly on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for one year, and then clerked for Justice William Rehnquist on the United States Supreme Court (whom he would later replace as Chief Justice). He entered private practice but left to serve George H. W. Bush as Principal Deputy Solicitor General from 1989 to 1993. It was President Bush “41” who nominated Roberts for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but no Senate vote was held, and Robert’s nomination expired when Bush left office after losing the 1992 presidential election.
In May 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Roberts for a different seat on the D.C. Circuit. The Senate, under the chairmanship of Patrick Leahy, refused to give Roberts a hearing in the 107th Congress. After the 2002 election, Bush resubmitted Robert’s nomination; he was confirmed and commissioned in June 2003. On July 19, 2005, President Bush nominated Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill a vacancy that would be left by the resignation of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. When Chief Justice Rehnquist died on September 3, 2005, while Robert’s confirmation was still pending before the Senate, Bush withdrew that nomination and announced a new nomination to the position of Chief Justice. The confirmation was expedited and Roberts assumed office of the 17th Chief Justice of the United States on September 29, 2005.
Justice Roberts is married to Jane Sullivan and they have two adopted children. He is Roman Catholic.
In the News…
The Supreme Court earlier this month blocked Congress from getting the financial records of President Trump, sending the controversial cases back down to the lower court for further review.
Now, they have declined to expedite the paperwork that would allow them to move quickly against the president.
It will be early August before the House members could go back to the court for a reconsideration.
The House had asked the Supreme Court to issue the paperwork immediately. Although the Court rejected the request, Justice Sonia Sotomayor indicated she would have agreed to it.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Chief Justice Roberts today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Chief Justice John G. Roberts
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20543
