Today there are now a total of eight Supreme Court Justices in the United States Government. The oldest of the group being 83 and the youngest being 56. The members of this court are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony McLeod Kennedy, Stephen Gerald Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Anthony Alito, Sonia Maria Sotomayor, John Glover Roberts Jr., and Elena Kagan. Each of these Associate Justices have different backgrounds and history, so here's the background information on these important figures. Starting off with a Justice in the Liberal Court, Democratic Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Ruth Joan Bader before marriage) was born March 15th, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. Ruth Ginsburg grew up in a low-income working class neighborhood. Ruth Ginsburg’s …show more content…
Elena Kagan was first nominated by President Obama as the Solicitor General of the United States; a year later the President nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 10, 2010 and she took her seat on August 7, 2010. Kagan was born in New York, New York, on April 28, 1960. During her education she received an A.B. from Princeton in 1981, an M. Phil. from Oxford in 1983, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1986. In the beginning she had clerked for Judge Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1986-1987 and then for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1987 Term. Later after briefly practicing law at a Washington, D.C. law firm, she became a law professor. She first started off as a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School and later on at Harvard Law School. Kagan also served for four years in the Clinton Administration as Associate Counsel to the President and then as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Between 2003 and 2009 she had served at Harvard Law School as the
Elena Kagan is currently an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was born on April 28, 1960 in New York City, New York, to Robert and Gloria Kagan (which makes her 56 years old today). Kagan is somewhat heavyset and on the shorter side- she stands about 5 feet and 3 inches tall. Her face appears friendly, with a medium skin tone, wide set, dark brown eyes, rosy cheeks, and medium brown hair cut to her chin. She is also known for wearing pearl or gemstone earrings and colorful pantsuits.
This shows that Sotomayor was able to accomplish what only two other women, ever, have been able to accomplish. Additionally, one of the reasons she was able to become supreme court justice was because of her outstanding academic achievements. In the video, “bio.com.truestory. Sonia Sotomayor,” it states, “Sotomayor entered Princeton University on a full scholarship and graduated summa cum laude in
A person that I deeply respect and look up to is Sonia Sotomayor, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. I respect Sonia Sotomayor because of the diversity she brought to the Supreme Court. She was the very first Justice on the Supreme court with a Latina background. I admire her bravery.
Samuel Alito was born on April 1, 1950 in Trenton, New Jersey, to Rose Fradusco and Samuel A. Alito Sr. His mother was a schoolteacher and father was a an Office Director of Legislative Services. He was raised in an upper-middle class catholic Italian-American family. He attended Steiner High School graduating at the top of his class. After high school he entered Princeton University as an undergrad. While attending Princeton University he joined challenging activity such as ROTC. After graduating from Princeton University in 1972 he continued his education at Yale Law School and graduated in 1975. During his time at Yale, he was the school’s law journal editor and also served on active duty until 1975. He was discharged from active duty in 1980.
Ms. Sotomayor was born on 6/25/1954 in the Bronx, located in New York City. She was the eldest of two children. Her younger sibling, Juan, is now a physician in Syracuse, New York. The family resided in the Bronxdale Houses in the projects. Her father was a tool – and – die worker, and her mother was a nurse at a methadone clinic. When
Today, women and minorities have a wide variety of professions they can pursue; but it was not always that way. Before the Civil Rights Movement, women and minorities, especially black people, were bounded to a stereotypical or subservient role in society without the right to voice their opinions. Some, however, did take a stand to fight for equal rights against all odds. These people were called Civil Rights activists and many became leaders. Among the many famous pioneers such as Martin, Malcolm, and Angela, was a woman of great pride and honor – Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm was a civil rights leader who championed the causes of equal rights and fair treatment for both women and minorities through her determination, community involvement, and
Perhaps no other jurist could have come to the Supreme Court under greater expectations. When President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981 to be the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, he did soto keep a campaign promise. O'Connor's nomination was quick to draw criticism from both the political people left and right. Conservatives put down her lack of federal judicial experience and claimed that she didn't have any constitutional knowledge. They considered her a wasted nomination and suspected her position on abortion. Liberals, on the other hand, could not deny their satisfaction at seeing a woman on the High Court, but they were disappointed in O'Connor's apparent lack of strong support for
The Supreme Court is the highest level of the federal court system. It consists of nine justices, including a chief justice and eight associate justices. Very rarely do cases originate on the level of the Supreme Court. The judges and justices that preside over the courts of the United States determine the constitutionality of laws and legislation.
Thurgood Marshall was a great African American Civil Rights activist who changed a lot of lives in the United States. As a passionate lawyer and prominent Supreme Court justice he fought for Civil Rights and social justice in the courts and believed that racial integration is best for all schools. Very early in his professional life Marshall broke down racial barriers and overcame resistance despite the odds. He then became a role model of the disciplined leader, although he didn’t have the religious qualities or charisma as Martin Luther King. However, in terms of achievements, most of us would agree that he should be ranked next to Martin Luther King Jr. Thurgood was particularly famous for winning the Brown vs. Board of
"Thurgood Marshall was a rebel."(1) His method of activism differed from those of other civil rights leaders of the time. By addressing the courts and using his legal expertise, Marshall was able to have a more direct influence on society and the way government was treating blacks at the time. His use of the of the courts led to rulings that deemed the exclusion of blacks from primary elections, the use of racial profiling in terms of housing, the "separate but equal" mentality concerning working facilities and universities, and especially the segregation of elementary schools unconstitutional. With a resume like that it is no wonder he is still considered one of the most influential of the civil rights
Throughout the African American civil rights movement opportunities were sought to spark a chance at improving conditions in the south. Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the Montgomery, Alabama bus was the fire to that spark. Rosa, standing up for herself something anyone person in today’s world would do, was arrested and put in jail. While Rosa was in jail she caught the eye of many people in the Civil Rights Movement, including the leaders. The Civil Rights leaders protested her arrest and hired lawyers to aid her in her trial. Although she was found guilty and was fined fourteen dollars for the cost of the court case, which lasted on thirty minutes, she wasn’t done yet. Rosa Parks has affected the society we live in today in
The current Supreme Court membership is comprised of nine Supreme Court Justices. One of which is the Chief Justice and the other eight are the Associate Justices. The Justices are Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr., and Associate Justices: John Paul Stevens, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.
The gender roles in America have changed tremendously since the end of the American Civil War. Women and men, who once lived in separate spheres are now both contributing to American society. Women have gone from the housewife so playing key roles in the country's development in all areas. Though our society widely accepts women and the idea that our society is gender neutral, the issues that women once faced in the late 1860s are still here.
Sonia Sotomayor is a women full of many talents and accomplishments. In her book, My Beloved World, Sonia reveals many people, circumstances, hardships, and successfulness. Sonia has embraces many characteristics in which I can relate. Successfulness, determination, and the importance of learning are all crucial elements that make Sonia into the inspiring woman she is today. Relating to Sonia Sotomayor throughout her book allowed me to remain intrigued in the book and helped apply concepts to my everyday life.
At establishment, six justices were appointed as Supreme Court justices. As the time passed, the number was increased to ten and then decreased to nine (The Supreme Court in the American System, 2013). At present, the justices of Supreme Court consist of eight associate justices and the Chief Justice of United States, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. To maintain the independence of the judiciary and to protect it from the influence of political branches of government, the justices of Supreme Court hold their office for entire life and their salaries cannot be decreased during their term. Federal judges may be vanished from