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ID DATA

John G. Roberts, Jr.

17th Supreme Court Chief Justice

Potential for substantial influence for years to come.

Age at Oath: 50
Senate Vote: 78-22
Youngest chief justice since John Marshall in 1801 at the age of 45.

First addition to the Court in 11 years, which was the longest stretch without a new member since 1823.

Roberts was sworn in by acting Chief Justice John Paul Stevens, witnessed by family, government officials and the press. Roberts took a separate judicial oath during a private White House ceremony attended by the other justices.

Roberts drew rave reviews from many senators for his encyclopedic knowledge of constitutional law and his smooth answers during two days of Senate hearings before his confirmation. Critics complained that he dodged too many questions, including those meant to reveal his beliefs about abortion and other contentious issues.

Personal Life

John Glover Roberts, Jr. was born January 27, 1955 in Buffalo, New York, to his parents John G. Roberts, Sr. and Rosemary Podrasky. His father was an executive with Bethlehem Steel.

Well-rounded student.

During second grade, his family moved to the affluent beachside town of Long Beach, Indiana, where he participated in several high school activities in addition to studying Latin for six years. He was captain of the varsity football team, co-edited the student newspaper, was active in wrestling, choir, drama and student council, serving a year as class president.

In his Harvard years, he worked at the same steel mill in Indiana where his father worked as an electrical engineer, to help pay his tuition.

Settling down.

Married to Jane Sullivan Roberts July 27, 1996, they adopted two children in 2000 - Josephine (nickname Josie) and Jack (sometimes called John in media), who is one year younger. Both children attend a private Catholic school run by Opus Dei. Currently the family lives in Bethesda, Maryland, a D.C. suburb, and are members of a Roman Catholic parish led by Monsignor Peter Vaghi.

His wife, Jane, is a lawyer with the Washington DC law firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, formal legal counsel and supporter of the pro-life organization, Feminists for Life. She's earned 4 college degrees, including a BA from Holy Cross in 1976, an MS from Brown University in 1981 and a JD in 1984 from Georgetown University Law Center. She became a Trustee of Holy Cross in 2001. In her 20s, she backpacked through Europe and Nepal.

He has three sisters, Kathy Godbey, Peggy Roberts, and Barbara Burke; two brothers-in-law, Tim Burke and Dusty Godbey; and a niece, Katie Godbey. Another time he also introduced two more brothers-in-law, Bill Southard of Boston, and Jim Southard of Ohio, who has two children, Emily and Tyler. Chris Sterndale was mentioned in 2003 as his sister Amy's boyfriend - perhaps Peggy goes by Amy, since she is still using her maiden name.

Supporting his family.

In his 2001 financial disclosure filing, Roberts reports many stocks and investment funds, including sizeable investments in AOL, Walt Disney and Microsoft. He lists a $270k balance on a 30-yr fixed rate mortgage at .125% on their Bethesda home, valued at approximately $425,000, and one-eighth interest in a cottage in the village of Knocklong, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, his wife's ancestral homeland, valued at $10,000.

The 2005 disclosure again shows many stocks, including pharmaceutical and technology investments, such as holdings in XM Satellite Radio, Dell computers, Texas Instruments, Pfizer, and Procter & Gamble, in addition to a salary of over $1 million annually.

Work Background

2005 Sep 29	Chief Justice, US Supreme Court, nominated by President George W. Bush, sworn in less than 4 hours after Senate approval of his nomination.
2003 Jan 7	Re-nomination for Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, by President George W. Bush; Judiciary Committee approved by 16-3, Senate unanimously confirmed, sworn into office June 2, 2003.
2001 May 9	Nomination for Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, by President George W. Bush, but - along with 29 other nominations - were never voted on by Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
2000	His law firm advised the Bush campaign of 2000, and sources say Roberts personally advised Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, on Presidential election recounts and the Constitution.
1993 Jan-2003	Law practice, partner at Hogan and Hartson, a prestigious Washington, D.C. firm, ran the appellate division and continued to argue cases before the Supreme Court.
1992	Nomination for Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, by President George W. Bush, but never voted on by Senate Judiciary Committee.
1989 Oct-1993 Jan	Deputy Solicitor General, dozens of cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the federal government, winning over half, during President George H.W. Bush's administration; represented 18 states in United States v. Microsoft.
1986 May-1989 Oct	Associate, the oldest and largest Washington D.C.-based law firm Hogan & Hartson, made general partner in October 1987.
1982 Nov-1986 May	Associate Counsel to the President under White House Counsel Fred Fielding, during Reagan administration.
1981 Aug-1982 Nov	Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General, William French Smith, during the Reagan administration.
1980 Jul-1981 Aug	Law Clerk for then-Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court (whom he eventually replaced as Chief Justice).
1979 Jun-1980 Jun	Law Clerk for Judge Henry Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
1979	Harvard Law School, magna cum laude; served as managing editor of Harvard Law Review.
1978 Summer	Law clerk at Carlsmith, Carlsmith, Wichman & Case (now Carlsmith, Ball, Wichman, Case & Ichiki), Honolulu, Hawaii.
1977 Summer	Law clerk at Ice, Miller, Donadio & Ryan in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1976	Harvard University, summa cum laude; AB degree, majored in history; entered as a sophomore, finished in three years; wrote honors thesis on British domestic politics, 1900-1914.
1976	Awarded the Detur Prize, based on cumulative academic record; the Bowdoin Essay Prize for "best dissertation submitted in the English language," and elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
1974-1976	Awarded the John Harvard Scholarship three years running, for "academic achievement"
1974	Awarded the Edwards Whitaker Scholarship, given to first-year students who "show the most outstanding scholastic ability and intellectual promise as indicated by distinction in studies and general achievement."
1974	Awarded the William Scott Ferguson award, which is given for the most outstanding essay submitted by a Sophomore concentrating in history." His essay was titled: "Marxism and Bolshevism: Theory and Practice."
1973	Graduated from La Lumiere School, a Catholic boarding school in LaPorte, Indiana, first in his class.

Memberships & Affiliations

American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (elected August 1998)
American Law Institute (elected October 1990)
Edward Coke Appellate American Inn of Court
Federal Appellate Rules Advisory Committee
Federalist Society's 1997-1998 "Leadership Directory," (listed as member of steering committee, admits to having spoken at their events but denies ever paying $50 membership fee)
Georgetown University Law Center, Supreme Court Institute, Outside Advisory Board
The Lawyers Club of Washington, since 1996.
Metropolitan Club
National Legal Center for the Public Interest, Legal Advisory Board
National Republican Lawyer Association
Phi Beta Kappa
Republican National Lawyers Association
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Virginia, since 1992
Supreme Court Historical Society

Interesting Quotes

After taking oath as Chief Justice:
"What Daniel Webster termed the miracle of our Constitution is not something that happens in every generation, but every generation in its turn must accept the responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution and bearing true faith and allegiance to it."

By Senator John Warner, VA, during Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Jan 29, 2003:
"...if I may indulge a personal observation, Mr. Roberts is designated to serve on the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Exactly one-half century ago, 50 years, I was a clerk on that court, and so I take a particular interest in presenting this nominee. Also, the nominee is a member of the firm of Hogan & Hartson, one of the leading firms in the Nation's capital. Fifty years ago, I was a member of that firm."

Special Source Note:

Much detailed information about Roberts, including his financial disclosure, is available in the Transcript of Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of John Roberts to the D.C. circuit, 29 January 2003, available in PDF format at http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate/pdf/108hrg/89324.pdf.