Jewish American Supreme Court Justices
Of the 113 justices in the United States Supreme Court, eight appointees are Jewish. The first was Harvard Law School graduate,
Louis Brandeis. President Woodrow Wilson nominated him in 1916, and though his nomination was contested by political conservatives, Brandeis was appointed and served for the next 23 years when in 1939 he retired.
Benjamin N. Cardozo was the next Jewish American to serve and did so from 1932 - 1938 when he suddenly died.
Felix Frankfurter was appointed in 1939 and served for 23 years, giving up his seat for retirement in 1962.
Arthur Goldberg followed, serving from 1962 - 1965 when he tendered his resignation to accept the appointment from Lyndon B. Johnson as Ambassador to the United Nations. President Johnson then nominated
Abe Fortas who was confirmed in 1965 but resigned in 1969 because of claims of ethical conflicts. Currently
Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed in 1993,
Steven Breyer appointed in 1994 and
Elena Kagan appointed in 2010 all continue to serve on the Supreme Court as Associate Justices. The book
J
ewish Justices of the Supreme Court: From Brandeis to Kagan, Their Lives and Legacies by David Dalin
is the most current and comprehensive exploration of all eight of these Jewish legal giants.
