History of Clarence Thomas in Timeline
Clarence Thomas is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991. Nominated by President George H.W. Bush, he succeeded Thurgood Marshall. Thomas is the second African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, after Marshall, and became its longest-serving justice after Anthony Kennedy's retirement in 2018.
1926: Publication of Notes on Democracy
Notes on Democracy was published in 1926.
1930: Publication of I'll Take My Stand
I'll Take My Stand was published in 1930.
1935: Federal law prohibiting beer labels from disclosing alcohol content
In 1995 with the announcement of McIntyre, the Court also decided Rubin v. Coors Brewing Company, in which Justice Thomas wrote his first majority opinion concerning free speech. In Rubin, Thomas was joined unanimously in ruling unconstitutional a 1935 federal law that prohibited beer labels from disclosing alcohol content.
1941: Publication of The Managerial Revolution
The Managerial Revolution was published in 1941.
1946: Birth of Sister Emma
In 1946, Clarence Thomas's older sister, Emma, was born.
January 1947: Leola Williams Marries M.C. Thomas
In January 1947, after becoming pregnant with Clarence Thomas's older sister, Leola Williams was ordered by her father to marry M.C. Thomas.
June 23, 1948: Clarence Thomas Born
On June 23, 1948, Clarence Thomas was born. He is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991.
1948: Publication of Ideas Have Consequences
Ideas Have Consequences was published in 1948.
1949: Thomas Staffers Required to Watch The Fountainhead Film
Clarence Thomas required his staffers to watch the 1949 film version of Ayn Rand's novel, The Fountainhead.
1949: Birth of Brother Myers
In 1949, Clarence Thomas's younger brother, Myers, was born.
March 1951: M.C. Thomas Divorces Leola Williams
In March 1951, M.C. Thomas sued for divorce, claiming that Leola neglected the children, and a judge granted the request.
1951: Publication of God and Man at Yale
God and Man at Yale was published in 1951.
1952: Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
In 2018, the Ninth Circuit case East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Trump, ruled that the Trump administration's asylum policy violated the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
1953: Publication of The Conservative Mind
The Conservative Mind was published in 1953.
1955: Moved in With Grandfather
In 1955, after his aunt's house burned down, Clarence Thomas and his brother moved in with his maternal grandfather, Myers Anderson.
1960: Racial Unrest in Savannah
From 1960 to 1963, Myers Anderson bailed out demonstrators and took Clarence Thomas to meetings promoted by the NAACP during racial unrest in Savannah.
1960: Publication of The Conscience of a Conservative
The Conscience of a Conservative was published in 1960.
1961: Library Desegregation
In 1961, prior to libraries being desegregated, Clarence Thomas spent many hours at the Carnegie Library, the only library for Blacks in Savannah.
1963: Racial Unrest in Savannah
From 1960 to 1963, Myers Anderson bailed out demonstrators and took Clarence Thomas to meetings promoted by the NAACP during racial unrest in Savannah.
1963: Gideon v. Wainwright Decided
In 1963, the Supreme Court decided Gideon v. Wainwright, requiring indigent criminal defendants to be provided counsel. In Garza v. Idaho, Thomas and Gorsuch suggested Gideon v. Wainwright was wrongly decided and should be overruled.
1963: Criticism of Gideon v. Wainwright
Justice Thomas has criticized Gideon v. Wainwright decision from 1963 and has expressed his desire to reconsider it.
1964: Publication of A Choice Not an Echo
A Choice Not an Echo was published in 1964.
1964: Enforcing the Civil Rights Act
In 1964, The Civil Rights Act was enacted and Clarence Thomas, as chairman of the EEOC, was tasked with enforcing it.
1964: Civil Rights Act
In 2020, Thomas joined Alito and Kavanaugh in dissenting from the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
1964: Criticism of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
Justice Thomas has expressed his desire to reconsider New York Times Co. v. Sullivan decision from 1964.
1965: Griswold v. Connecticut
In 2022, in a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Thomas argued that the Supreme Court should reconsider substantive due process precedents, including Griswold v. Connecticut from 1965.
1965: Voting Rights Act
In Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, Justice Thomas dissented, voting to throw out Section Five of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Section Five requires states with a history of racial voter discrimination to gain Justice Department clearance when revising election procedures.
1967: Entered Conception Seminary College
In 1967, Clarence Thomas entered Conception Seminary College in Missouri with the intention of becoming a priest. He left at the end of the semester after experiencing racism.
1968: Enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross
In 1968, Clarence Thomas enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross as a sophomore transfer student. He also co-founded the Black Student Union (BSU).
April 1970: Participation in Harvard Square Riots
In April 1970, Clarence Thomas participated in the violent 1970 Harvard Square riots.
June 4, 1971: Graduation from Holy Cross
On June 4, 1971, Clarence Thomas graduated cum laude from Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts, ranked ninth in his class. He was later accepted by Yale Law School.
1971: Graduation from the College of the Holy Cross
In 1971, Clarence Thomas graduated with honors from the College of the Holy Cross.
1971: Marriage to Kathy Grace Ambush
In 1971, Thomas married Kathy Grace Ambush.
1972: Ban on death sentences
In 1972, the Supreme Court initially imposed a ban on death sentences. Later, in Kansas v. Marsh, Justice Thomas indicated a belief that the Constitution affords states broad procedural latitude in imposing the death penalty, provided they remain within the limits of Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia, the 1976 case in which the Court reversed its 1972 ban on death sentences if states followed procedural guidelines.
1973: Birth of Son Jamal Adeen
In 1973, Jamal Adeen, Thomas's sole child, was born.
1973: Criticism of Roe v. Wade
Justice Thomas has criticized Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 and has expressed his desire to reconsider it.
September 13, 1974: Admittance to Missouri Bar
On September 13, 1974, Clarence Thomas was admitted to the Missouri bar after moving to Saint Louis to study for it.
1974: Assistant Attorney General of Missouri
From 1974 to 1977, Clarence Thomas served as an assistant attorney general of Missouri, becoming the only African-American member of John Danforth's staff.
1974: Juris Doctor from Yale Law School
In 1974, Clarence Thomas earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
1975: Thomas Influenced by Thomas Sowell's Race and Economics
In 1975, Clarence Thomas found an intellectual foundation for his philosophy in Thomas Sowell's "Race and Economics", which critiques social reform by the government.
1976: Attorney in Monsanto's Legal Department
In 1976, after John Danforth was elected to the U.S. Senate, Clarence Thomas left his position and became an attorney in Monsanto's legal department in Saint Louis.
1976: Gregg v. Georgia
In 1976, the Supreme Court decided Gregg v. Georgia, reversing its 1972 ban on death sentences if states followed procedural guidelines. Thomas's majority opinion in Kansas v. Marsh indicated a belief that the Constitution affords states broad procedural latitude in imposing the death penalty, provided they remain within the limits of Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia.
1976: Buckley v Valeo
In 1996, in Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC, Justice Thomas joined Justice Stephen Breyer's majority opinion, but wrote separately to call against the framework established in the previous campaign finance case of Buckley v Valeo from 1976.
1977: End of Tenure as Assistant Attorney General
From 1974 to 1977, Clarence Thomas served as an assistant attorney general of Missouri, becoming the only African-American member of John Danforth's staff.
1979: Rejoined Danforth as Legislative Assistant
From 1979 to 1981, Clarence Thomas rejoined John Danforth in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant and handled energy issues for the Senate Commerce Committee.
1979: Legislative Assistant
In 1979, Clarence Thomas became a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator John Danforth.
1979: Nevada v. Hall
In 1979, the decision in Nevada v. Hall stated that states could be sued in courts of other states, a decision that was later overruled by Justice Thomas in 2019 in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt.
1980: Doggett v. United States Indictment
In 1980, the defendant in Doggett v. United States was indicted, technically becoming a fugitive. The case later involved issues of speedy trial rights.
May 1, 1981: Nomination as Assistant Secretary of Education
On May 1, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Clarence Thomas as assistant secretary of education for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
1981: Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Nomination
From 1979 to 1981, Clarence Thomas drew the attention of officials in the newly elected Reagan Administration. He was then offered the position of assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.
1981: Separation from First Wife
In 1981, Thomas and his first wife separated.
1982: Chaired EEOC
In 1982, Clarence Thomas became the chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
1987: Publication of A Conflict of Visions and The Closing of the American Mind
In 1987, both A Conflict of Visions and The Closing of the American Mind were published.
October 30, 1989: Nominated to U.S. Court of Appeals
On October 30, 1989, President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, filling the seat vacated by Robert Bork. Thomas received support from African American officials.
1989: Amended Reports Going Back to 1989
In 2011, Clarence Thomas amended financial reports going back to 1989 after admitting that the disclosure of his wife's income had been "inadvertently omitted due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions".
1989: Consideration for federal judgeship
In early 1989, President George H.W. Bush considered nominating Clarence Thomas to a federal judgeship, but Thomas initially declined. Later, with encouragement from White House officials and Judge Laurence Silberman, he considered accepting an appointment. A liberal coalition emerged to oppose his candidacy.
February 1990: Recommended by the Senate Judiciary Committee
In February 1990, Clarence Thomas was recommended by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12 to 1.
March 6, 1990: Confirmed to the Court of Appeals
On March 6, 1990, Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Court of Appeals by the Senate with a vote of 98 to 2. He was the D.C. Circuit's youngest judge at age 42.
July 1990: Considered for Supreme Court
In July 1990, after Justice William Brennan retired from the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas was considered by President Bush as a potential nominee, but David Souter was chosen instead.
1990: Member of College of the Holy Cross Board of Trustees
In 1990, Clarence Thomas was a member of the College of the Holy Cross board of trustees.
1990: End of EEOC chairmanship
In 1990, Clarence Thomas's tenure as the chairman of the EEOC concluded after serving since 1982.
1990: Nomination to U.S. Court of Appeals
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
1990: Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990
In 1995, Justice Thomas concurred in United States v. Lopez, which invalidated the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 for exceeding the Commerce Clause.
June 27, 1991: Marshall Announces Retirement
On June 27, 1991, Justice Thurgood Marshall announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, creating a vacancy.
July 31, 1991: NAACP Opposes Thomas's Confirmation
On July 31, 1991, the board of directors of the NAACP voted against endorsing Clarence Thomas, announcing their opposition to his Supreme Court confirmation the same day.
September 10, 1991: Confirmation Hearings Begin
On September 10, 1991, formal confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas began before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Thomas testified for 25 hours.
September 27, 1991: Motion Fails in Judiciary Committee
On September 27, 1991, a motion to give Clarence Thomas's nomination a favorable recommendation failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7-7. The committee then voted 13-1 to send the nomination to the full Senate without recommendation.
October 11, 1991: Thomas Denies Allegations
On October 11, 1991, during the reopened hearings, Clarence Thomas denied the sexual harassment allegations made by Anita Hill. He stated he wouldn't answer questions about his private life to avoid providing "the rope for my own lynching".
October 15, 1991: Thomas Confirmed as Associate Justice
On October 15, 1991, the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Clarence Thomas as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
1991: Thomas's Speaking Record Since 1991
By May 2020, Thomas had asked questions in two oral arguments since 2006 and had spoken during 32 of the roughly 2,400 arguments since 1991.
1991: Nomination to Supreme Court
In 1991, Clarence Thomas was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
1992: Horatio Alger Award
In 1992, Clarence Thomas was awarded the Horatio Alger Award by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.
1992: Planned Parenthood v. Casey
In 1992, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe v. Wade in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Thomas joined the dissenting opinions of Rehnquist and Scalia. The dissent argued Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled, stating the Constitution says nothing about abortion and American traditions have permitted it to be legally proscribed.
1992: R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul
Justice Thomas ruled against laws regulating hate speech, as in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul in 1992.
1994: Voting record on overturning federal laws
A New York Times editorial reported that from 1994 to 2005, Justice Thomas voted to overturn federal laws in 34 cases.
1995: Concurrence in United States v. Lopez
In 1995, Justice Thomas concurred in United States v. Lopez, which invalidated the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. He argued that the Court had deviated from the Commerce Clause's original understanding.
1995: Dissenting in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton
In 1995, Justice Thomas dissented in the case of U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, where the Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of state-imposed term limits on members of Congress.
1995: U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton
In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton that an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution, which added age, citizenship, and residency requirements for congressional service, was unconstitutional. Justice Thomas, joined by Justices Rehnquist, O'Connor, and Scalia, dissented, arguing that states should be able to impose term limits on members of Congress.
1996: Romer v. Evans Dissent
In 1996, Thomas joined Scalia's dissenting opinion in Romer v. Evans, arguing that Amendment Two to the Colorado State Constitution did not violate the Equal Protection Clause.
1996: Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC
In 1996, in Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC, Justice Thomas joined Justice Stephen Breyer's majority opinion, but wrote separately to call against the framework established in the previous campaign finance case of Buckley v Valeo (1976).
1997: Taking in Great-Nephew
In 1997, Thomas and his wife took in Thomas's six-year-old great-nephew, Mark Martin Jr.
September 24, 1999: Dwight D. Opperman Lecture at Drake University Law School
On September 24, 1999, Justice Thomas delivered the Dwight D. Opperman Lecture at Drake University Law School, titled "Why Federalism Matters". In his lecture, Thomas argued that federalism is essential for protecting individual liberty, enhancing self-government, separating political power, and checking federal authority.
1999: Alleged Groping Incident at Dinner Party
In 1999, Clarence Thomas allegedly groped Moira Smith's buttocks at a dinner party, according to Smith's later account.
1999: Purchase of Prevost Le Mirage XL Marathon RV
In 1999, Clarence Thomas purchased a Prevost Le Mirage XL Marathon RV for $267,230, with financial assistance from a friend.
1999: Motorcoach Travel Begins
Since 1999, Thomas and his wife have traveled across the U.S. in a motorcoach between Court terms.
2000: Stenberg v. Carhart
In 2000, the Supreme Court struck down a state ban on partial-birth abortion in Stenberg v. Carhart. Thomas dissented, arguing that the Constitution does not require states to permit abortion and criticized the majority's reasoning as hostile to any abortion regulation by the states.
2001: Francis Boyer Award
In 2001, Clarence Thomas was awarded the Francis Boyer Award presented by the American Enterprise Institute.
2001: Publication of The Death of the West
The Death of the West was published in 2001.
2002: Eugene Volokh Study
In 2002, a study by Eugene Volokh found Justice Thomas to be the justice second-most likely to uphold free speech claims, tied with Souter.
2003: Failure to Disclose Wife's Income Begins
From 2003, Clarence Thomas failed to disclose his wife's income from The Heritage Foundation on his Supreme Court financial disclosure forms.
2003: Lawrence v. Texas Dissent
In 2003, Thomas issued a one-page dissent in Lawrence v. Texas, calling the Texas statute prohibiting sodomy "uncommonly silly". He stated that he would vote to repeal the law if he were a member of the Texas legislature, but he did not vote to strike it down because he believes the Constitution does not contain a right to privacy.
2004: Analysis of Gifts Accepted by Thomas Begins
An analysis released by Fix the Court showed that, over the 20 years beginning in 2004, Clarence Thomas had accepted gifts worth $4.2 million.
2004: Member of College of the Holy Cross Board of Trustees
In 2004, Clarence Thomas was a member of the College of the Holy Cross board of trustees.
2004: Hamdi v. Rumsfeld Dissent
In 2004, Justice Thomas dissented in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, arguing that courts should defer to the executive's decision to determine if Yaser Esam Hamdi was an enemy combatant.
2004: Report of Gifts from Harlan Crow
In 2004, it was reported that Clarence Thomas had accepted gifts from Harlan Crow, including a Bible that belonged to Frederick Douglass and a bust of Abraham Lincoln.
2005: Voting record on overturning federal laws
A New York Times editorial reported that from 1994 to 2005, Justice Thomas voted to overturn federal laws in 34 cases.
2005: Dissent in Gonzales v. Raich
In 2005, Justice Thomas dissented in Gonzales v. Raich, which held that the Controlled Substances Act applies to homegrown marijuana, citing original meaning. Thomas argued that Congress's power would become unlimited if it could regulate homegrown marijuana.
February 2006: Silent Period on the Bench Begins
From February 2006 to February 2016, Thomas read his opinions from the bench but asked no questions during oral arguments.
2006: Member of College of the Holy Cross Board of Trustees
In 2006, Clarence Thomas was a member of the College of the Holy Cross board of trustees.
2006: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld Dissent
In 2006, Justice Thomas was one of three justices to dissent in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which concerned the President's authority to establish military tribunals for detained enemy combatants. He referenced The Federalist Papers to support his view of the President's responsibility for national security.
2006: Reauthorization of Section Five of the Voting Rights Act
In Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, Justice Thomas dissented, voting to throw out Section Five of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Congress had reauthorized Section Five in 2006 for another 25 years, but Thomas said the law was no longer necessary.
2007: Judicial Review of Federal Statutes
As of 2007, Justice Thomas was noted as the justice most willing to exercise judicial review of federal statutes but among the least likely to overturn state statutes.
2007: Failure to Disclose Wife's Income Continues
In 2007, Clarence Thomas continued to fail to disclose his wife's income from The Heritage Foundation on his Supreme Court financial disclosure forms.
2007: Morse v. Frederick
In 2007, Justice Thomas endorsed Black's dissent in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District in Morse v. Frederick, concurring with narrowing the rationale of Tinker and arguing that Tinker be overruled as it was a constitutionally unsupported “sea change in students’ speech rights”.
2007: Gonzales v. Carhart
In 2007, the Supreme Court rejected a facial challenge to a federal ban on partial-birth abortion in Gonzales v. Carhart. Thomas concurred, asserting that the court's abortion jurisprudence had no basis in the Constitution but that the court had accurately applied that jurisprudence in rejecting the challenge.
2007: Memoir
In his 2007 memoir, Clarence Thomas wrote about his experience at Yale Law School and his disappointment with prospective law firms assuming he was accepted because of affirmative action. He mentioned peeling a fifteen-cent sticker off a package of cigars and sticking it on the frame of his law degree.
2008: Loan for RV Discharged
In 2008, the loan from Anthony Welters to Clarence Thomas, used to purchase the Prevost Le Mirage XL Marathon RV, was discharged, forgiving much of the original balance.
2010: McDonald v. Chicago
In 2010, Justice Thomas agreed with the judgment in McDonald v. Chicago that the right to keep and bear arms is applicable to state and local governments, but he wrote a separate concurrence finding that an individual's right to bear arms is fundamental as a privilege of American citizenship under the Privileges or Immunities Clause rather than as a fundamental right under the due process clause.
2010: Dissent in United States v. Comstock
In 2010, Justice Thomas dissented in United States v. Comstock, arguing that the Necessary and Proper Clause only allows Congress to execute enumerated powers. The Supreme Court held that the Necessary and Proper Clause allows Congress to enact a law that authorized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to detain a mentally ill and dangerous federal prisoner beyond the DOJ's original lawful date.
2010: Citizens United v. FEC
In 2010, Justice Thomas joined the majority in Citizens United v. FEC but dissented in part, arguing that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act's disclaimer and disclosure requirements were unconstitutional. Also in 2010, he reinforced his defense of anonymous speech in Doe v. Reed, writing that the First Amendment protects "political association" by means of signing a petition.
2010: Undisclosed International Trips in 2010
In 2023, Senate investigations revealed additional undisclosed international trips Clarence Thomas took in 2010 on Crow's private jet and superyacht.
2010: United States v. Stevens
Justice Thomas ruled against laws regulating hate speech, as in United States v. Stevens in 2010.
2010: Dissent from Denial of Certiorari in Second Amendment Cases
Since 2010, Justice Thomas has dissented from denial of certiorari in several Second Amendment cases.
June 2011: Payments to Ginni Thomas's Firm Begin
In June 2011, payments to Ginni Thomas's firm, Liberty Consulting, began through Kellyanne Conway's polling firm billing the Judicial Education Project.
2011: Politico Reports Crow's Donation and Non-Disclosure
In 2011, Politico reported that Harlan Crow donated $500,000 to a Tea Party group founded by Clarence Thomas's wife and that Thomas had failed to report her income on his disclosure for over a decade.
2011: Ginni Thomas's Activities and Conflict of Interest Concerns
In 2011, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas stepped down from Liberty Central to open a conservative lobbying firm. 74 Democratic members of the House of Representatives wrote that Justice Thomas should recuse himself on cases regarding the Affordable Care Act because of "appearance of a conflict of interest" based on his wife's work.
2011: Snyder v. Phelps
Justice Thomas ruled against laws regulating hate speech, as in Snyder v. Phelps in 2011.
January 2012: Leonard Leo Funnels Money to Ginni Thomas's Firm
In January 2012, Leonard Leo had Kellyanne Conway's polling firm bill the Judicial Education Project $25,000, which her firm then paid to Ginni Thomas's firm, Liberty Consulting. The documents did not indicate the nature of the work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or Conway's company.
June 2012: Payments to Ginni Thomas's Firm Continue
In June 2012, payments to Ginni Thomas's firm, Liberty Consulting, continued through Kellyanne Conway's polling firm billing the Judicial Education Project, totaling $80,000 between June 2011 and June 2012.
October 1, 2012: Opinions Authored by Thomas
By October 1, 2012, Justice Clarence Thomas had written 475 opinions, including 171 majority opinions, 138 concurrences, and 166 dissenting opinions, which was about 10 percent of the 1,772 cases decided by the Court since he joined.
2012: Honorary Degree from College of the Holy Cross
In 2012, Clarence Thomas received an honorary degree from the College of the Holy Cross, his alma mater.
2012: Dissent in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
In 2012, Justice Thomas authored a short dissent and joined the joint dissent in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, finding the Affordable Care Act completely unconstitutional after the Court upheld it.
2013: Remarks on Stare Decisis
At a 2013 Federalist Society dinner, Justice Thomas indicated that "stare decisis" does not hold enough force to keep him from going to the Constitution when interpreting the law.
2013: Thomas's Philosophy on Questioning
In 2013, Thomas said it was "unnecessary in deciding cases to ask that many questions ... we should listen to lawyers who are arguing their cases, and I think we should allow the advocates to advocate."
2014: Jackson v. San Francisco
Justice Thomas voted to grant certiorari in Jackson v. San Francisco (2014), which upheld trigger lock ordinances similar to those struck down in Heller; he was joined by Scalia.
2015: Zivotofsky v. Kerry Opinion
In 2015, Justice Thomas relied on the Articles of Confederation in his opinion in Zivotofsky v. Kerry, asserting that the President is not confined to powers expressly identified in the Constitution and that residual foreign affairs powers are vested in the President, not Congress.
2015: Obergefell v. Hodges
In 2022, in a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Thomas argued that the Supreme Court should reconsider substantive due process precedents, including Obergefell v. Hodges from 2015.
2015: Friedman v. City of Highland Park
Justice Thomas voted to grant certiorari in Friedman v. City of Highland Park (2015), which upheld bans on certain semi-automatic rifles; he was joined by Scalia.
February 2016: Silent Period on the Bench Ends
From February 2006 to February 2016, Thomas read his opinions from the bench but asked no questions during oral arguments.
2016: Publication of Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy was published in 2016.
2016: Moira Smith Alleges Groping Incident
In 2016, Moira Smith alleged that Clarence Thomas groped her buttocks at a dinner party in 1999, an allegation Thomas denied.
2016: Peruta v. San Diego County
Justice Thomas voted to grant certiorari in Peruta v. San Diego County (2016), which upheld restrictive concealed carry licensing in California; he was joined by Gorsuch.
2017: Analysis of Thomas's Questioning Style
In 2017, RonNell Andersen Jones and Aaron L. Nielson wrote in Northwestern University Law Review that while asking few questions, "in many ways, [Thomas] is a model questioner."
2017: Undisclosed Domestic Trips in 2017
In 2023, Senate investigations revealed additional undisclosed domestic trips Clarence Thomas took in 2017 on Crow's private jet and superyacht.
2017: Silvester v. Becerra
Justice Thomas voted to grant certiorari in Silvester v. Becerra (2017), which upheld waiting periods for firearm purchasers who have already passed background checks and already own firearms.
2017: Publication of The Benedict Option
The Benedict Option was published in 2017.
2018: Longest-Serving Justice
In 2018, Clarence Thomas became the longest-serving justice on the U.S. Supreme Court following the retirement of Anthony Kennedy.
2018: East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Trump
In 2018, Justice Thomas dissented from a denial of stay application in the Ninth Circuit case East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Trump, regarding an injunction on the Trump administration's asylum policy. The policy granted asylum only to refugees entering from a designated port of entry, but the court ruled that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
2018: Publication of Why Liberalism Failed
Why Liberalism Failed was published in 2018.
February 2019: Vote to Block Louisiana Abortion Restriction
In February 2019, Thomas joined three other conservative justices in voting to reject a stay to temporarily block a Louisiana law restricting abortion, which would have required doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges in a hospital.
July 2019: Thomas Received Food and Lodging from Harlan Crow
In July 2019, Clarence Thomas received food and lodging at a hotel in Bali and a private club in California from Harlan Crow, which he disclosed in June 2024.
2019: Gamble v. United States
In 2019, Justice Thomas joined the majority opinion in Gamble v. United States, which revisited an exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause. He wrote separately to state his position against the Court's prevailing view of multi-factor analysis regarding whether to follow precedent.
2019: Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt
In 2019, Justice Thomas wrote the 5–4 decision in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, overruling Nevada v. Hall from 1979, which had stated that states could be sued in courts of other states. In his majority opinion, he noted that stare decisis "is not an inexorable command".
2019: Questioning Precedents
In 2019, The New York Times reported that Justice Thomas had written over 250 concurring or dissenting opinions that seriously questioned precedents, calling for their reconsideration or suggesting they be overruled.
2019: Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc.
In 2019, in Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc., Thomas wrote a concurring opinion comparing abortion and birth control to eugenics. He referenced Margaret Sanger's support for contraception as superior to "the horrors of abortion and infanticide".
2019: Undisclosed Domestic Trips in 2019
In 2023, Senate investigations revealed additional undisclosed domestic trips Clarence Thomas took in 2019 on Crow's private jet and superyacht.
May 2020: Occasional Questioning Resumes
By May 2020, Thomas had asked questions in two oral arguments since 2006 and had spoken during 32 of the roughly 2,400 arguments since 1991. Thomas has given many reasons for his silence, including self-consciousness, a preference for listening, and difficulty getting in a word.
May 2020: More Active Questioning During Teleconferenced Arguments
In May 2020, Thomas took a more active role in questioning when the Supreme Court shifted to holding teleconferenced arguments during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the justices took turns asking questions in order of seniority.
October 2020: Denial of Appeal from Kim Davis
In October 2020, Thomas joined the other justices in denying an appeal from Kim Davis, a county clerk who refused to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but wrote a separate opinion reiterating his dissent from Obergefell v. Hodges and expressing his belief that it was wrongly decided.
2020: Benedict Leadership Award
In 2020, Belmont Abbey College awarded Clarence Thomas the Benedict Leadership Award for his devotion to the Catholic faith and government service.
2020: Dissent in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia
In 2020, Thomas joined Alito and Kavanaugh in dissenting from the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
2020: Calls for Recusal Based on Ginni Thomas's Activities
In April 2022, Democratic members of Congress demanded that Justice Thomas recuse himself from cases related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election because of Ginni Thomas's involvement.
2020: Texts Between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows Revealed
Texts between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows from 2020 were turned over to the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, showing Ginni Thomas urging Meadows to overturn the election results.
2020: Increased Questioning During Oral Arguments
Until 2020, Clarence Thomas was known for his silence during most oral arguments, but since 2020, he has begun asking more questions to counsel.
February 2021: Ginni Thomas Apologizes to Former Clerks
In February 2021, Ginni Thomas apologized to a group of Thomas's former clerks for her role in contributing to a rift relating to "pro-Trump postings and former Thomas clerk John Eastman".
July 2021: Vote to Hear Appeal from Washington Florist
In July 2021, Thomas was one of three justices, with Gorsuch and Alito, who voted to hear an appeal from a Washington florist who had refused service to a same-sex couple based on her religious beliefs against same-sex marriage.
November 2021: Dissent from Rejection of Appeal from Mercy San Juan Medical Center
In November 2021, Thomas dissented from the majority of justices in a vote to reject an appeal from Mercy San Juan Medical Center, which had sought to deny a hysterectomy to a transgender patient on religious grounds.
2021: Thomas One of Six Practicing Catholic Justices
In 2021, Clarence Thomas was noted as one of six practicing Catholic justices on the Supreme Court, alongside Alito, Kavanaugh, Roberts, Sotomayor, and Barrett.
2021: Undisclosed Domestic Trips in 2021
In 2023, Senate investigations revealed additional undisclosed domestic trips Clarence Thomas took in 2021 on Crow's private jet and superyacht.
2021: Resumption of In-Person Arguments
Since the court resumed in-person oral arguments at the beginning of the 2021 term, the justices agreed to allow Thomas to ask the first question of each lawyer following their opening statements.
March 2022: Texts Between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows Revealed
In March 2022, texts between Ginni Thomas and Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows from 2020 were turned over to the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, showing Ginni Thomas urging Meadows to overturn the election results.
April 2022: Calls for Thomas to Recuse Himself
In April 2022, a Quinnipiac poll found that 52% of Americans agreed that, in light of Ginni Thomas's texts about overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, Thomas should have recused himself from related cases. In response, Democratic members of Congress demanded that Thomas recuse himself from cases related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
2022: Increased Influence on the Supreme Court
By 2022, Justice Clarence Thomas's influence on the Supreme Court had increased, with him authoring an opinion expanding Second Amendment rights and contributing to the Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade. He also became the most senior associate justice.
2022: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen
In 2022, Justice Thomas authored the majority opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, guaranteeing the right of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms in public.
2022: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Concurring Opinion
In 2022, in a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Thomas argued that the Supreme Court should reconsider substantive due process precedents, including those established in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Lawrence v. Texas (2003), and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).
April 2023: Report of Luxury Trips Accepted from Crow
In April 2023, ProPublica reported that Clarence Thomas had accepted luxury trips virtually every year for two decades from Harlan Crow and failed to report them.
May 2023: Report of Crow Paying Grandnephew's Tuition
In May 2023, ProPublica reported that Harlan Crow had paid for private school tuition for Clarence Thomas's grandnephew, Mark Martin, which Thomas did not report on his financial disclosure forms.
2023: Report on Friend Paying for Thomas's RV
In 2023, The New York Times reported that a friend had paid for Clarence Thomas's Prevost Le Mirage XL Marathon RV, purchased for $267,230 in 1999.
2023: Senate Committees Open Investigations into Undisclosed Gifts
In 2023, both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Finance Committee opened investigations into Clarence Thomas's undisclosed gifts.
June 2024: Thomas Files Amendment to Financial Disclosure Report
In June 2024, Clarence Thomas filed an amendment to his financial disclosure report for 2019 to include information he had "inadvertently omitted".
December 21, 2024: Report Reveals Additional Trips Paid by Crow
On December 21, 2024, a report by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats revealed that Clarence Thomas had taken an additional two trips in 2021 paid for by Crow.
2024: Most Recent Justice Confirmed by Opposing Senate
As of 2024, Clarence Thomas remains the most recent Supreme Court justice to be confirmed by a Senate controlled by the opposing party of the appointing president.
2024: United States v. Rahimi
In 2024, Justice Thomas was the sole dissenter in United States v. Rahimi, a case deciding the constitutionality of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), which prohibits people subject to a domestic restraining order from possessing guns.
January 3, 2025: Judicial Conference Declines to Refer Thomas to Justice Department
On January 3, 2025, the U.S. Judicial Conference announced it would not refer Clarence Thomas to the Justice Department over ethics allegations.
2025: United States v. Skrmetti
In 2025, Thomas and five of the Court's other conservative justices voted to uphold Tennessee's law prohibiting puberty blockers and hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors, saying it did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, in United States v. Skrmetti.
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