An While the justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, many have retired or resigned. A retired justice, according to the There are currently nine justices serving on the Supreme Court; listed in order of seniority, they are: Such appointments are subject to a separate confirmation process.State of residence at the time of appointment. Five individuals were confirmed for associate justice, and later appointed chief justice separately: Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 114 people have served on the Court. Beginning in the early 20th century, many justices who left the Court voluntarily did so by retiring from the Court without leaving the federal judiciary altogether. 1152, April 22 – June 24, 1946, and again, under 62 While Lewis Powell and William Rehnqust were sworn in as associate justice on the same date, their seniority (Acted as chief justice under 62 Stat. Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 114 people have served on the Court. The length of service on the Court for the 105 non-incumbent justices ranges from Served on the Supreme Court twice: first as associate justice, and then, after a period of years off the Court, as chief justice.Elevated from associate justice to chief justice while serving on the Supreme Court.
1152, June 30 – July 3, 1941.Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat.
Rutledge remains the only "recess appointed" justice not to be subsequently confirmed by the Senate.Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat. John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, was born in Buffalo, New York, January 27, …

For example, in 1971, Rehnquist was appointed from Arizona, but in 1986, when elevated to chief justice, he was appointed from Virginia.This was the first Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by the Senate. 869, September 3–29, 2005. As of July 16, 2020, the length of service for the nine incumbent justices ranges from Clarence Thomas' 28 years, 267 days to Brett Kavanaugh's 1 year, 284 days.

The length of service on the Court for the 105 non-incumbent justices ranges from William O. Douglas's 36 years, 211 days to the 163-day tenure of Thomas Johnson. Since 1789, Congress has occasionally altered the size of the Supreme Court, historically in response to the country's own expansion in size.

1152, February 3–24, 1930.While Willis Van Devanter and Joseph Rucker Lamar were sworn in as associate justice on the same date, their seniority (Acted as chief justice under 36 Stat.