Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President George W. Bush in 2005, he assumed his position in 2006. Alito is the second Italian American Justice to serve on the Supreme Court after Antonin Scalia.
April 1, 1950: Birth of Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. was born on April 1, 1950.
1952: Samuel Alito Sr.'s Career Milestone
In 1952, Samuel Alito Sr. began his role as the first director of the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services.
1964: Dissent on Title VII Interpretation
Alito, in his dissent for Bostock v. Clayton County, argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 doesn't prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, criticizing the majority's interpretation.
1968: High School Graduation
Samuel Alito graduated as valedictorian from Steinert High School in 1968.
December 1969: Selective Service Lottery Number
In December 1969, Samuel Alito received a low draft lottery number of 32 while a sophomore at Princeton University.
1971: Student Conference on Privacy
In 1971, Samuel Alito chaired a student conference at Princeton University titled "The Boundaries of Privacy in American Society", which advocated for limits on domestic intelligence gathering.
1972: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
Samuel Alito was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve in 1972.
1972: Graduation from Princeton University
In 1972, Samuel Alito graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
1972: Graduation and Supreme Court Aspirations
In 1972, Samuel Alito graduated from Princeton University and expressed his ambition to one day serve on the Supreme Court in his yearbook.
1973: Roe v. Wade
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled on the landmark case Roe v. Wade, which established a woman's right to have an abortion.
1975: Graduation from Yale Law School
Samuel Alito earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1975.
1975: Active Duty and Law School Graduation
Samuel Alito graduated from Yale Law School and began his military duty in 1975, serving on active duty from September to December.
1976: Clerkship for Judge Leonard I. Garth
Samuel Alito began clerking for Third Circuit appeals judge Leonard I. Garth in Newark, New Jersey, in 1976.
1977: End of Clerkship and Start as Assistant U.S. Attorney
Samuel Alito concluded his clerkship for Judge Leonard I. Garth and began working as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 1977.
1980: Honorable Discharge from the Army Reserve
Samuel Alito was honorably discharged from the United States Army Reserve in 1980.
1981: Assistant to U.S. Solicitor General
Samuel Alito began working as an Assistant to U.S. Solicitor General Rex E. Lee in 1981.
1981: Conclusion of Assistant U.S. Attorney Role
Samuel Alito finished his role as Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 1981.
1984: End of Samuel Alito Sr.'s Tenure
Samuel Alito Sr. concluded his tenure as the director of the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services in 1984.
1985: Deputy Assistant Attorney General
In 1985, Samuel Alito began his role as Deputy Assistant Attorney General under Charles J. Cooper in the Office of Legal Counsel.
1985: Marriage to Martha-Ann Alito
Samuel Alito married Martha-Ann Alito in 1985.
1985: End of Role as Assistant to U.S. Solicitor General
Samuel Alito's tenure as Assistant to U.S. Solicitor General Rex E. Lee concluded in 1985.
1986: Authorship of Legal Memoranda
Between 1986 and 1987, Alito wrote nearly 470 pages of legal memoranda, arguing for the expansion of his client's law enforcement and personnel authorities.
1986: Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled against Charles Fried in the case Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, after Fried rejected a memo by Alito advising a different legal strategy.
1987: United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
Alito served as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1987 to 1990.
1987: End of Tenure as Deputy Assistant Attorney General
In 1987, Samuel Alito's tenure as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel concluded.
March 1988: Rehearing of Extradition Proceedings
In March 1988, Alito sought a rehearing of extradition proceedings against two Indian men accused of being terrorist assassins after discovering death threats sent to his prosecutor were self-sent.
August 1988: Acquittal in Mob Trial
In August 1988, a two-year trial against 20 alleged mob affiliates ended in acquittal after less than two days of jury deliberation.
1989: Prosecution of Japanese Red Army Member
In 1989, Alito prosecuted a member of the Japanese Red Army for planning a terrorist bombing in Manhattan.
February 20, 1990: Nomination to the United States Court of Appeals
On February 20, 1990, President George H.W. Bush nominated Alito to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
April 27, 1990: Confirmation to the United States Court of Appeals
On April 27, 1990, the Senate confirmed Alito's nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by unanimous consent.
1990: End of Tenure as United States Attorney
In 1990, Alito's tenure as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey concluded.
1990: Appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals
In 1990, Samuel Alito was appointed as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
1995: Saint Thomas More Medal
In 1995, Alito received the Saint Thomas More Medal from Seton Hall University School of Law for his contributions to the field of law.
1999: Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law
Alito began teaching as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law in 1999.
2002: NSA Surveillance of Alito
In 2002, the National Security Agency targeted Alito's phones, as well as those of his staff and family, for surveillance.
2003: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, passed by Congress in 2003, resulted in the lawsuit Gonzales v. Carhart, which revisited the constitutionality of bans on partial-birth abortion.
2003: Continuation of NSA Surveillance
The NSA surveillance of Alito, his staff, and his family continued into 2003.
2004: End of Adjunct Professorship at Seton Hall Law
In 2004, Alito's tenure as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law came to an end.
July 1, 2005: Sandra Day O'Connor's Retirement Announcement
On July 1, 2005, Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the Supreme Court, effective upon the confirmation of her successor.
October 31, 2005: Nomination to the Supreme Court
On October 31, 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States.
2005: Distinct Judicial Views Emerge
During the 2005 term, Alito's distinct views became evident as he differed from other conservative justices, particularly Scalia, in cases like the Michael Taylor case and those involving statutory interpretation and originalism.
January 31, 2006: Began Serving on the Supreme Court
Samuel Alito began serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on January 31, 2006.
February 1, 2006: First Supreme Court Decision
On February 1, 2006, Alito participated in his first Supreme Court decision, voting with the majority to refuse Missouri's request to vacate the stay of execution for death-row inmate Michael Taylor.
May 1, 2006: First Supreme Court Opinion
On May 1, 2006, Alito delivered his first written Supreme Court opinion in Holmes v. South Carolina, a case concerning the rights of criminal defendants.
2006: Alito's Confirmation Hearing
Alito's confirmation hearing for his nomination to the Supreme Court took place from January 9 to 13, 2006, during which he answered approximately 700 questions over 18 hours of testimony.
April 18, 2007: Ruling on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
On April 18, 2007, the Supreme Court, with Kennedy writing for the majority, ruled the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act constitutional, while leaving room for as-applied challenges.
May 25, 2007: Commencement Address and Honorary Degree at Seton Hall Law
On May 25, 2007, Alito delivered the commencement address at Seton Hall Law's graduation ceremony and received an honorary law degree from the school.
2007: Morse v. Frederick Decision
In 2007, Alito joined the majority decision in Morse v. Frederick, which held that schools could ban speech advocating drug use.
2008: Support for Worker Protection
In 2008, Alito authored the majority opinion in Gomez-Perez v. Potter, enabling federal workers facing retaliation for filing age discrimination complaints to sue for damages.
2008: Supreme Court Historical Society Lecture
In 2008, Alito delivered the Supreme Court Historical Society's Annual Lecture titled 'The Origin of the Baseball Antitrust Exemption'.
2008: Alito's Financial Disclosure Report
In 2008, Alito filed a Financial Disclosure Report, which ProPublica later alleged was missing certain disclosures related to gifts and benefits.
2011: Visiting Professor at Duke Law
In 2011, Alito served as a visiting professor at Duke University School of Law, teaching a course on constitutional interpretation.
2012: Master of Laws Program at Duke Law
In 2012, Alito taught a course in Duke Law's Master of Laws in Judicial Studies program.
2013: Recognized as Conservative Justice
In 2013, political scientists Andrew Martin and Kevin Quinn labeled Alito as one of the most conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
2013: Revelation of NSA Surveillance
In 2013, former NSA analyst Russell Tice revealed that Alito and his inner circle had been subject to NSA surveillance during 2002 and 2003.
June 3, 2014: Lunch with Gayle Wright
On June 3, 2014, Samuel Alito and his wife had lunch with Gayle Wright, a conservative donor, weeks before the Supreme Court's decision on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby was officially announced.
June 2014: Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Decision
In June 2014, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which was authored by Alito and ruled in favor of anti-abortion conservatives.
October 2020: Denial of Appeal in Same-Sex Marriage Case
In October 2020, Alito, along with the other justices, denied an appeal from a county clerk who had refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
November 12, 2020: Criticism of COVID-19 Restrictions
On November 12, 2020, Alito expressed concern over the "loss of individual liberties" due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, referring to the situation as a "Constitutional stress test."
2020: Embodiment of Conservative Majority
Following Justice Amy Coney Barrett's appointment in 2020, Alito has been seen as representing an ambitious and extreme conservative majority, aiming to overturn progressive precedents established in the 1960s and 1970s.
January 2021: Upside Down US Flag at Alito Residence
In January 2021, an upside down US flag was flown at Alito's residence in Alexandria, Virginia, which was interpreted as a symbol of the "Stop the Steal" movement.
February 2022: Draft Opinion Circulation
In February 2022, the first draft of Alito's majority opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization circulated among the justices.
May 2, 2022: Leaked Draft Opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson
A draft of Alito's majority opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, potentially overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, was leaked on May 2, 2022.
June 24, 2022: Dobbs v. Jackson Ruling
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson, largely mirroring the leaked draft, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
July 2022: Alito's Comments on Dobbs Ruling
Alito made his first public remarks on the Dobbs ruling in July 2022, criticizing foreign leaders who opposed the decision.
October 2022: Concerns Over Leaked Opinion and Court Integrity
In October 2022, Alito expressed concerns about the leaked Dobbs opinion, suggesting it made justices targets for assassination. He also addressed perceived threats to the Court's integrity.
November 2022: Allegations of Leaking Supreme Court Decision
In November 2022, amidst the investigation into the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, allegations surfaced that Alito had previously leaked the outcome of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby to Gayle Wright.
2022: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
In 2022, Samuel Alito authored the majority opinion in the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
2022: Sole Military Veteran on the Court
Following Stephen Breyer's retirement in 2022, Alito became the only military veteran serving on the Supreme Court.
April 21, 2023: Dissent in Mifepristone Case
On April 21, 2023, Alito dissented from the Supreme Court's decision to reverse a ruling that would have banned mifepristone nationwide.
June 20, 2023: ProPublica Investigation and Alito's Response
On June 20, 2023, ProPublica published an investigation into Alito's relationship with billionaire Paul Singer, alleging that Alito had received undisclosed gifts and should have recused himself in cases involving Singer. Alito preemptively challenged the allegations in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
July 2023: Alito's Stance on Congressional Oversight
In July 2023, amidst calls for Supreme Court ethics reform, Alito published a Wall Street Journal opinion piece asserting that Congress lacked the authority to regulate the Court.
May 16, 2024: New York Times Article on Upside Down Flag
On May 16, 2024, The New York Times published an article revealing that an upside down US flag had been flown at Alito's residence in January 2021.