John Roberts

John Roberts
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Name	John Roberts
Caption	Official portrait, 2016
Office	Chief Justice of the United States
Termstart	September 29, 2005
Nominator	George W. Bush
Predecessor	William Rehnquist
Office2	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Termstart2	June 2, 2003
Termend2	September 29, 2005
Nominator2	George W. Bush
Predecessor2	James L. Buckley
Successor2	Patricia Millett
Birth date	27 January 1955
Birth place	Buffalo, New York
Spouse	Jane Sullivan Roberts
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD)

John Roberts is the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005, he succeeded William Rehnquist and has presided over a period of significant legal and social change. His tenure has been marked by a cautious judicial approach, though he has cast decisive votes in landmark cases involving health care, voting rights, and same-sex marriage.

Early life and education

John Glover Roberts Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Long Beach, Indiana. He attended La Lumiere School, a boarding school in La Porte, Indiana, where he excelled academically. For his undergraduate studies, Roberts entered Harvard University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1976. He then attended Harvard Law School, serving as managing editor of the Harvard Law Review before earning his Juris Doctor degree *magna cum laude* in 1979.

Legal career

After law school, Roberts clerked for Judge Henry Friendly on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then for Associate Justice William Rehnquist during the 1980 Supreme Court term. He served in the Reagan Administration, first as a Special Assistant to the United States Attorney General and later in the White House Counsel's office. Roberts entered private practice at the Washington, D.C. law firm Hogan & Hartson, but returned to public service as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General under Solicitor General Kenneth Starr during the administration of President George H. W. Bush. During this time, he argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. He returned to Hogan & Hartson, building a renowned appellate practice and arguing 39 cases before the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court tenure

In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Roberts to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Following the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005, Bush nominated Roberts to fill the vacancy. After confirmation hearings before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, he was confirmed by the Senate in a 78–22 vote. At age 50, he became one of the youngest Chief Justices in history. He has presided over several major cases, including National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, which upheld the Affordable Care Act; Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and Obergefell v. Hodges, which established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. He has also overseen significant administrative reforms within the federal judiciary.

Jurisprudence and legal philosophy

Roberts is generally considered a member of the Court's conservative wing, but he often emphasizes judicial restraint and institutional stability. He is known for a minimalist approach, favoring narrow rulings and incremental change, as articulated in his confirmation hearing analogy of a judge as an "umpire." His opinion in Department of Commerce v. New York displayed a skepticism of administrative motives while avoiding a broad constitutional ruling. However, he has at times taken assertive action, such as joining the majority in Citizens United v. FEC and writing the opinion in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, which limited the use of race in school assignments. His key vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act in 2012 was seen as an effort to preserve the Court's legitimacy and avoid a dramatic overturning of an act of Congress.

Personal life

Roberts married Jane Sullivan Roberts, a lawyer and legal recruiter, in 1996. They have two adopted children, John and Josephine. The family resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland. An avid sports fan, Roberts enjoys baseball and is a noted fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. He has served as Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents. Roberts has also faced health challenges, suffering a seizure in 2007 that required brief hospitalization but was later cleared to return to his duties without restriction.

Category:Chief Justices of the United States Category:1955 births Category:Harvard University alumni Category:American judges