Clarence Thomas becomes the second longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history
His seniority gives him outsized influence as the court’s conservative majority has expanded and his former clerks fill government and judicial posts.
- On Thursday, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas marked 34 years on the Supreme Court, becoming the second-longest serving justice in history and surpassing Justice Stephen J. Field.
- Once an outlier on the nation's highest court, Thomas has become a towering figure in the conservative legal movement following the appointment of three conservative justices by Republican President Donald Trump.
- Stanford University law professor Pamela Karlan noted that Thomas' seniority allows him to decide who writes opinions when Chief Justice John Roberts is not in the majority, shifting internal court dynamics.
- Recently, Thomas has faced ethics questions regarding undisclosed luxury trips from a GOP megadonor; he maintains he was not required to disclose them and has declined to recuse himself from related cases.
- With no signs of retirement, Thomas could overtake William O. Douglas as the longest-serving justice in 2028. Law professor John Yoo said Thomas appears "more energized and excited now" than decades ago.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Clarence Thomas becomes the second longest-serving Supreme Court justice in American history
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is now the second longest-serving justice in history, overtaking someone who was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln. Thomas' tenure as of Thursday tops 34 years. The only justice with a longer tenure is William O.…
Clarence Thomas is now the 2nd longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history
Once an outlier on the nation’s highest court, Justice Clarence Thomas has become a towering figure in the conservative legal movement over the last decade as he helped secure landmark rulings on abortion, voting and Second Amendment rights.
Eleven things about the second-longest-serving justice of all time
Justice Clarence Thomas, now the second-longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history, has occupied a singular place on the court for more than three decades. In this column, I describe some of the most notable facts about this incredibly influential (and polarizing) justice.First, some background. Born in 1948 near Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Pin Point by his grandparents after his father left their family, Thomas came to the court with…
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