The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts: A Journey of Law, Politics, and Public Service

John Glover Roberts Jr. is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the United States. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate in a 78-22 vote on September 29, 2005. Roberts took the oath of office on October 3, 2005, and has served on the Court ever since.

The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts

by Joan Biskupic

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3336 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
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Print length	:	433 pages

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Roberts was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 27, 1955. He graduated from Harvard College in 1976 and from Harvard Law School in 1979. After working as a law clerk for Judge Henry Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Roberts joined the Reagan administration as an associate counsel to the president. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where he served until his elevation to the Supreme Court.

Roberts is a conservative jurist who is often seen as the swing vote on the Court. He has authored important opinions in cases involving abortion, affirmative action, campaign finance, and gun control. Roberts has also been a vocal critic of judicial activism, and he has often voted to overturn precedents set by the Court in previous decades.

Roberts's tenure as Chief Justice has been marked by controversy. He has been criticized by liberals for his conservative rulings and by conservatives for his willingness to compromise with the Court's more liberal justices. However, Roberts remains a respected figure in the legal community, and he is widely seen as a fair and impartial jurist.

Early Life and Education

John Glover Roberts Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 27, 1955. His father, John Glover Roberts Sr., was a lawyer and his mother, Rosemary Podlesak Roberts, was a homemaker. Roberts has two older sisters, Susan and Jane.

Roberts attended parochial schools in Buffalo before enrolling at Harvard College in 1973. He majored in history and graduated summa cum laude in 1976. Roberts then attended Harvard Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in 1979.

Legal Career

After graduating from law school, Roberts clerked for Judge Henry Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then joined the Reagan administration as an associate counsel to the president. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Roberts served on the D.C. Circuit for 16 years. He authored over 200 opinions, including many important rulings on administrative law, constitutional law, and national security law. Roberts was also a member of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 1992 to 2003.

Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation

In July 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States. The nomination was controversial, as Roberts was seen as a conservative who could shift the balance of the Court to the right. However, Roberts was ultimately confirmed by the Senate in a 78-22 vote on September 29, 2005.

Roberts took the oath of office on October 3, 2005, and has served on the Court ever since. He is the youngest person to serve as Chief Justice since John Marshall was appointed in 1801.

Chief Justice Roberts

Roberts has been a controversial figure as Chief Justice. He has authored important opinions in cases involving abortion, affirmative action, campaign finance, and gun control. Roberts has also been a vocal critic of judicial activism, and he has often voted to overturn precedents set by the Court in previous decades.

Roberts's tenure as Chief Justice has been marked by controversy. He has been criticized by liberals for his conservative rulings and by conservatives for his willingness to compromise with the Court's more liberal justices. However, Roberts remains a respected figure in the legal community, and he is widely seen as a fair and impartial jurist.

Legacy

John Roberts is a complex and controversial figure. He is a brilliant legal mind who has served with distinction on the Supreme Court for over a decade. However, Roberts is also a conservative jurist who has often sided with the Court's more conservative justices. His legacy will likely be debated for years to come.

Important Opinions

Roberts has authored some of the most important opinions in recent Supreme Court history. These opinions include:

* Citizens United v. FEC (2010): Roberts wrote the majority opinion in this case, which struck down limits on corporate spending in elections. The decision was controversial, as it was seen as giving corporations too much influence in the political process. * National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012): Roberts wrote the majority opinion in this case, which upheld the Affordable Care Act. The decision was controversial, as it was seen as an expansion of federal power. * Shelby County v. Holder (2013): Roberts wrote the majority opinion in this case, which struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision was controversial, as it was seen as making it more difficult for minorities to vote. * Obergefell v. Hodges (2015): Roberts dissented in this case, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The decision was a major victory for LGBT rights activists. * Janus v. AFSCME (2018): Roberts wrote the majority opinion in this case, which struck down mandatory union fees for public employees. The decision was a victory for conservative groups who had argued that the fees violated the First Amendment.

Roberts's opinions have been praised by conservatives and criticized by liberals. However, there is no doubt that he is one of the most influential justices in Supreme Court history.

Controversies

Roberts has been involved in several controversies during his tenure as Chief Justice. These controversies include:

* The Citizens United decision: Roberts's majority opinion in Citizens United was controversial, as it was seen as giving corporations too much influence in the political process. The decision was criticized by liberals and campaign finance reform advocates. * The Affordable Care Act decision: Roberts's majority opinion in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius was controversial, as it was seen as an expansion of federal power. The decision was criticized by conservatives and opponents of the Affordable Care Act. * The Voting Rights Act decision: Roberts's majority opinion in Shelby County v. Holder was controversial, as it was seen as making it more difficult for minorities to vote. The decision was criticized by civil rights groups and voting rights advocates. * The same-sex marriage decision: Roberts dissented in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The decision was a major victory for LGBT rights activists, but it was criticized by conservatives and religious groups. * The union fees decision: Roberts's majority opinion in Janus v. AFSCME was controversial, as it struck down mandatory union fees for public employees. The decision was a victory for conservative groups who had argued that the fees violated the First Amendment, but it was criticized by labor unions and their supporters.

Roberts has been criticized by both liberals and conservatives during his tenure as Chief Justice. However, there is no doubt that he is one of the most important and influential justices in Supreme Court history.

John Roberts is a complex and controversial figure. He is a brilliant legal mind who has served with distinction on the Supreme Court for over a decade. However, Roberts is also a conservative jurist who has often sided with the Court's more conservative justices. His legacy will likely be debated for years to come.

The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts

by Joan Biskupic

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3336 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	433 pages

FREE