Rise to Success: Career Highlights of John Roberts

Discover the career path of John Roberts, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

John Roberts is the 17th Chief Justice of the United States, serving since 2005. Often described as a moderate conservative and an institutionalist, he is sometimes considered a swing vote on the Supreme Court. Roberts has presided over a notable shift towards conservative jurisprudence during his tenure, authoring several key opinions in significant cases before the court.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1979: Law Clerk for Judge Henry Friendly

From 1979 to 1980, John Roberts served as a law clerk for Judge Henry Friendly at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

1980: Presidential Election Year

After the 1980 presidential election, John Roberts resolved to work under the new Reagan administration.

1980: Clerkship at the Second Circuit and Election

In 1980, John Roberts clerked at the Second Circuit. After the 1980 presidential election, he resolved to work under the new Reagan administration.

August 1981: Joins Department of Justice

In August 1981, after being admitted to the District of Columbia bar, John Roberts arrived to the Department of Justice as a special assistant to the attorney general.

1981: Clerkship for Justice William Rehnquist

From 1980 to 1981, John Roberts served as a law clerk for Justice William Rehnquist at the U.S. Supreme Court.

1982: Joins White House Counsel Office

In 1982, John Roberts was recruited to work at the White House by Reagan advisor Fred Fielding, joining the White House Counsel Office.

1986: Enters Private Practice

In 1986, John Roberts entered private practice in Washington, D.C., as an associate at the law firm Hogan & Hartson.

1989: Appointed Principal Deputy Solicitor General

In 1989, John Roberts was chosen by Ken Starr to become the Principal Deputy Solicitor General under President George H.W. Bush.

June 27, 1990: Supreme Court Sides with FCC

On June 27, 1990, the Supreme Court sided with the FCC in Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC, despite Roberts's argument that the use of racial preferences by the Federal Communications Commission was unconstitutional.

1991: Leading candidate for US Court of Appeals

In 1991, Roberts's proven experience in complex litigation for the Bush administration made him a leading candidate to fill Thomas's vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

January 27, 1992: Nomination to the D.C. Circuit

On January 27, 1992, President George H.W. Bush nominated John Roberts to the D.C. Circuit, but the nomination lapsed without a Senate vote.

1992: Nomination to U.S. Court of Appeals

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush nominated John Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but the Senate did not hold a vote on his confirmation.

1992: Previous Nomination Stalled

Unlike in 1992, when his first nomination stalled, Roberts's 2001 nomination initially came when Republicans had a Senate majority.

January 1993: Returns to Hogan and Hartson

In January 1993, John Roberts returned to Hogan and Hartson, where he found great success as an advocate and regularly appeared before the Supreme Court.

June 1995: Supreme Court Overrules Previous Loss

In June 1995, the Supreme Court overruled Roberts's previous loss of Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña.

1996: Pro Bono Aid to Gay Rights Activists

In 1996, John Roberts's pro bono contributions included giving fundamental aid to gay rights activists in the landmark case of Romer v. Evans.

2000: Assisted George W. Bush in Florida

During the 2000 presidential election, John Roberts went to Florida to assist George W. Bush.

2000: Possible Supreme Court Nominee Speculation

When George W. Bush won the contested 2000 presidential election, journalists speculated about potential Supreme Court nominees, though Roberts did not appear on initial lists.

May 9, 2001: Nominated to U.S. Court of Appeals

On May 9, 2001, President George W. Bush nominated John Roberts to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

2002: Senate Hearing Received

In 2002, after Republicans regained control of the Senate, John Roberts finally received a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

May 8, 2003: Senate Confirms Roberts

On May 8, 2003, the Senate unanimously confirmed John Roberts by voice vote after the Judiciary Committee recommended him by a vote of 16 to 3.

2003: Continued Supreme Court Litigation

From 1993 to 2003, John Roberts argued 18 Supreme Court cases and 20 in nationwide appellate courts while also doing work pro bono, demonstrating expertise in a wide variety of different fields.

2003: Appointment to D.C. Circuit Court

In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed John Roberts to the D.C. Circuit Court, a key step in his judicial career.

2004: Hedgepeth ex rel Hedgepeth v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit

In 2004, Roberts ruled in Hedgepeth ex rel Hedgepeth v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit, finding that Washington police properly detained a 12-year-old girl for eating in a metro station, in violation of a zero-tolerance policy. His opinion garnered media attention.

2004: Consideration as Supreme Court Candidate

In 2004, during the presidential election year, Roberts emerged as a potential candidate to replace Justice Rehnquist due to his experience as a Supreme Court advocate, earning favorable attention from both conservatives and liberals.

July 19, 2005: Nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court

On July 19, 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's impending retirement.

September 22, 2005: Senate Judiciary Committee Approval

On September 22, 2005, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Roberts's nomination by a vote of 13-5.

September 29, 2005: Constitutional Oath of Office

On September 29, 2005, Roberts took the Constitutional oath of office, administered by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens at the White House.

2005: Appointment as Chief Justice

In 2005, John Roberts began serving as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2005: Nomination and Confirmation as Chief Justice

In 2005, John Roberts was nominated to the Supreme Court by President George W. Bush, initially as an associate justice, then promoted to Chief Justice after Rehnquist's death and was confirmed by the Senate.

2006: Georgia v. Randolph Dissent

In 2006, Roberts wrote his first dissent in Georgia v. Randolph. Roberts criticized the decision as inconsistent with prior case law and for partly basing its reasoning on its perception of social custom.

2007: Morse v. Frederick

In 2007, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Morse v. Frederick, ruling that a student in a public school-sponsored activity does not have the right to advocate drug use because the right to free speech does not prevent school discipline.

2007: FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc.

In 2007, Roberts wrote the opinion in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., holding that provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 that limited political advertising were unconstitutional as applied to WRTL's issue ads preceding the election.

2007: Gonzales v. Carhart

In Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), Roberts voted with the majority to uphold the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

April 20, 2010: United States v. Stevens

On April 20, 2010, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in United States v. Stevens, striking down an animal cruelty law as an unconstitutional abridgment of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

2010: Citizens United v. FEC

In 2010, Roberts joined the opinion of the Court in Citizens United v. FEC, which struck down provisions of BCRA that restricted independent political spending. Roberts also wrote his own concurring opinion.

March 2, 2011: Snyder v. Phelps

On March 2, 2011, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Snyder v. Phelps, holding that speech on matters of public concern cannot be the basis of liability for emotional distress, even if offensive.

June 28, 2012: National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

On June 28, 2012, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, upholding a key component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

2013: Shelby County v. Holder

In 2013, Roberts struck down voting rights protections provided by the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, leading to changes in voting laws and polling place closures.

2013: Hollingsworth v. Perry

In 2013, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Hollingsworth v. Perry, holding that petitioners lacked standing to sue, resulting in the resumption of same-sex marriages in California. He also dissented in United States v. Windsor regarding the Defense of Marriage Act.

2014: McCutcheon v. FEC

In 2014, Roberts wrote the plurality opinion in McCutcheon v. FEC, a landmark campaign finance case, which held that "aggregate limits" on the combined amount a donor may give to various federal candidates or party committees violate the First Amendment.

2015: Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar

In 2015, Roberts joined the liberal justices in Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar, holding that the First Amendment does not prohibit states from barring judges from personally soliciting funds for their election campaigns.

November 4, 2016: Deciding Vote to Stay an Execution

On November 4, 2016, Roberts was the deciding vote in a 5–3 decision to stay an execution.

2016: Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt

In 2016, Roberts voted to uphold the law at issue in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. In 2020, he wrote that he believed this decision was wrongly decided but he was joining the majority out of respect for stare decisis.

2016: Utah v. Strieff Ruling

In Utah v. Strieff (2016), Roberts joined the five-justice majority in ruling that a person with an outstanding warrant may be arrested and searched and that any evidence discovered in that search is admissible in court, even when police act unlawfully.

June 26, 2018: Majority Opinion in Trump v. Hawaii

On June 26, 2018, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Trump v. Hawaii, upholding the Trump administration's travel ban against seven nations.

November 2018: Response to Trump's "Obama Judge" Comment

In November 2018, Roberts rebuked President Trump's comment about an "Obama judge," stating that there are no "Obama judges or Trump judges."

2018: Declining to Hear Planned Parenthood Case

In 2018, Roberts joined with liberal justices in declining to hear a case brought by Louisiana and Kansas to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

2018: Carpenter v. United States

In 2018, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Carpenter v. United States, a landmark decision involving privacy of cellular phone data. The 5-4 ruling stated that searches of cellular phone data generally require a warrant.

February 7, 2019: Rejection of Muslim Inmate's Request

On February 7, 2019, Roberts was part of the majority in a 5–4 decision rejecting a Muslim inmate's request to delay execution in order to have an imam present with him during the execution.

February 2019: Blocking Execution of Man with "Intellectual Disability"

Also in February 2019, Roberts sided with Kavanaugh and the court's four liberal justices in a 6–3 decision to block the execution of a man with an "intellectual disability" in Texas.

2019: Blocking Louisiana Abortion Restriction

In 2019, Roberts joined with liberal justices in a 5-4 decision temporarily blocking a Louisiana abortion restriction.

February 5, 2020: End of First Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump

On February 5, 2020, Roberts presided over the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump, which concluded on this date.

July 9, 2020: Majority Opinion in Trump v. Vance

On July 9, 2020, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Trump v. Vance, rejecting arguments for presidential immunity from criminal subpoenas.

October 2020: Rejection of appeal from Kim Davis

In October 2020, Roberts joined the justices in rejecting an appeal from Kim Davis, who refused to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

2020: Increased voter registration purges

A 2020 study found that jurisdictions previously covered by preclearance substantially increased their voter registration purges after the Shelby County v. Holder ruling.

2020: June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo

In 2020, Roberts sided with the liberal justices to strike down a Louisiana abortion law in June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo. Roberts wrote that while he believed Whole Woman's Health was wrongly decided he was joining the majority in June out of respect for stare decisis.

September 2021: Supreme Court Declined to Block Enforcement of Texas Heartbeat Act

In September 2021, the Supreme Court declined an emergency petition to temporarily block enforcement of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Roberts was in the minority.

November 2021: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia and other cases

In November 2021, Roberts joined the unanimous decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, favoring a Catholic adoption agency. He also voted to reject an appeal from Mercy San Juan Medical Center, which sought to deny a hysterectomy to a transgender patient.

2021: Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta

In 2021, the Supreme Court decided Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, for which Roberts wrote the majority opinion. The court held that California's requirement that nonprofit organizations disclose the identity of their donors violates the First Amendment.

2022: Dobbs Decision and Roberts's Influence

After the 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, several commentators suggested that Roberts's influence as the leading justice had diminished due to the presence of five other conservative justices.

2022: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

In 2022, Roberts declined to join the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. He wrote a concurring opinion supporting only the decision to uphold the Mississippi abortion statute.

June 29, 2023: Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina

On June 29, 2023, John Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, holding that race-based affirmative action in both public and private universities violates the Equal Protection Clause.

2023: Allen v. Milligan

In 2023, Roberts joined the liberals in Allen v. Milligan, a 5–4 decision holding that Alabama's congressional redistricting plan violated Section 2 of the VRA.