Chief Justice: Leader of the Supreme Court

Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? John Roberts. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has led the Supreme Court since 2005. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate. As Chief Justice, Roberts presides over the Supreme Court, leads the judicial branch, and oversees the federal court system.

For the citizenship test, you should know who currently serves as Chief Justice. The position changes when a Chief Justice dies, resigns, or retires, and the President appoints a successor with Senate confirmation.

The Essential Facts

For the citizenship test, you need to know the name of the current Chief Justice. As of December 2025, the answer is John Roberts or Chief Justice Roberts.

The Chief Justice of the United States leads the Supreme Court, the highest court in the federal judiciary. The Chief Justice has both administrative responsibilities and judicial duties. As one of nine justices, the Chief Justice votes on cases. As leader, the Chief Justice manages the Court’s operations, assigns opinion writing, and represents the judicial branch.

The Chief Justice is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, like all federal judges. Chief Justices serve lifetime appointments “during good behavior,” meaning they can serve as long as they choose unless removed through impeachment. This lifetime tenure protects judicial independence by preventing political pressure through threats of removal.

What the Chief Justice Does

The Chief Justice has several important roles:

Presiding Over Court: The Chief Justice leads oral arguments, asking questions of lawyers presenting cases. The Chief Justice maintains order, manages time, and ensures procedures are followed. The Chief Justice’s questions often signal concerns or issues the Court may address in its decision.

Leading Conference: After oral arguments, the nine justices meet in conference to discuss cases and vote. The Chief Justice leads these private conferences, speaking first and framing the discussion. The Chief Justice cannot dictate outcomes but can influence deliberations through this leadership role.

Assigning Opinions: When the Chief Justice is in the majority, the Chief Justice decides who writes the Court’s opinion. This is significant power. The opinion writer shapes how the decision is explained and what precedents are established. Chief Justices can assign opinions strategically to achieve particular outcomes or build consensus.

Administrative Leadership: The Chief Justice oversees the entire federal court system, not just the Supreme Court. This includes administrative responsibilities, budget matters, and policy issues affecting federal courts nationwide. The Chief Justice chairs the Judicial Conference, which sets policies for federal courts.

Ceremonial Role: The Chief Justice administers the presidential oath of office at inaugurations. The Chief Justice also presides over presidential impeachment trials in the Senate. These ceremonial roles make the Chief Justice visible in important national moments.

Representing the Judiciary: The Chief Justice speaks for the judicial branch in public addresses, annual reports, and interactions with other branches. The Chief Justice defends judicial independence and explains court decisions to the public.

Why the Chief Justice Matters

The Chief Justice shapes American law profoundly. Through opinion assignments, the Chief Justice influences how Court decisions are written and what legal principles are established. A well-written opinion can guide lower courts for decades. A poorly written opinion can create confusion and litigation.

The Chief Justice’s leadership affects Court dynamics. Some Chief Justices build consensus and encourage compromise. Others let ideological divisions dominate. The Chief Justice’s personality and leadership style shape how the justices work together and whether the Court appears unified or divided.

Opinion assignment power matters greatly. If the Chief Justice assigns important cases to moderate justices, opinions may be narrower and less ideological. If major cases go to the most conservative or liberal justices, opinions may be broader and more controversial. Strategic assignment can make the Court appear more moderate or more extreme than its actual voting patterns.

The Chief Justice’s role in impeachment trials is rarely used but significant. Only three presidents have been impeached (Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump twice). Chief Justice Salmon Chase presided over Johnson’s trial in 1868. Chief Justice William Rehnquist presided over Clinton’s trial in 1999. Chief Justice Roberts presided over both Trump impeachment trials in 2020 and 2021.

How Someone Becomes Chief Justice

The President nominates a Chief Justice when the position becomes vacant. The President can nominate anyone who meets the constitutional requirements for federal judges. Most Presidents nominate sitting judges or lawyers with extensive legal experience, though this is not required.

There are two ways to become Chief Justice:

Direct Appointment: The President nominates someone to be Chief Justice. This can be a sitting Supreme Court justice promoted to Chief Justice, a lower court judge, or someone never previously a judge. The Senate must confirm this nomination.

Promotion: When a Chief Justice vacancy occurs, the President can promote an existing Supreme Court justice to Chief Justice. This is what happened with William Rehnquist, who served as an associate justice before being elevated to Chief Justice by President Reagan in 1986.

The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings on the nomination. The nominee testifies, answers questions about judicial philosophy, and responds to senators’ concerns. The committee votes whether to recommend confirmation. The full Senate then votes. A simple majority confirms the nominee.

Chief Justice nominations can be contentious. Senators scrutinize nominees’ records, judicial philosophies, and qualifications. Controversial nominees may face difficult confirmation battles. But most Chief Justice nominees are confirmed because Presidents typically nominate highly qualified candidates.

Historical Context

John Jay was the first Chief Justice, serving from 1789 to 1795. He helped establish the Supreme Court as an independent branch and set early precedents for judicial review and federal power. Jay resigned to become governor of New York, showing that early Chief Justices did not always view the position as the pinnacle of public service.

John Marshall, serving from 1801 to 1835, transformed the Chief Justiceship and the Supreme Court. His opinion in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review, giving courts power to strike down unconstitutional laws. Marshall’s leadership made the Supreme Court a co-equal branch of government, not a subordinate one.

Roger Taney, serving from 1836 to 1864, wrote the infamous Dred Scott decision (1857), ruling that Black Americans could not be citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in territories. This decision is widely considered the worst in Supreme Court history. Taney’s tenure shows how Chief Justices can shape the nation negatively as well as positively.

Earl Warren, serving from 1953 to 1969, led the Court during the civil rights era. His opinion in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) declared school segregation unconstitutional. The “Warren Court” expanded civil rights, criminal defendant protections, and individual liberties dramatically. Warren’s leadership made the Court a major force for social change.

William Rehnquist, serving from 1986 to 2005, led a more conservative Court. He emphasized federalism, limited federal power, and states’ rights. Rehnquist’s Court was less activist than Warren’s but still decided major cases on abortion, affirmative action, and presidential power.

John Roberts became Chief Justice in 2005 at age 50, one of the youngest Chief Justices ever appointed. His stated goal was to build consensus and narrow opinions. The Roberts Court has decided major cases on healthcare, same-sex marriage, voting rights, campaign finance, and presidential power. Roberts has sometimes surprised observers by voting with the Court’s liberal justices on key cases.

The Chief Justice’s Limited Power

Despite the title and prestige, the Chief Justice has limited power. The Chief Justice’s vote counts the same as any other justice’s vote. The Chief Justice cannot force other justices to agree or prevent them from writing dissenting opinions.

The Chief Justice’s opinion assignment power only applies when the Chief Justice is in the majority. If the Chief Justice dissents, the senior justice in the majority assigns the opinion. This means the Chief Justice must join the majority to exercise assignment power, sometimes requiring compromise or strategic voting.

The Chief Justice cannot hire or fire other justices. All nine justices have lifetime tenure and are equal in authority. The Chief Justice is “first among equals,” with some administrative authority but no power to control colleagues’ votes or judicial philosophies.

This limited power contrasts with the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader, who can control their chamber’s agenda and exert significant pressure on members. The Chief Justice can neither control the Court’s docket (which is voted on by all justices) nor prevent cases from being decided.

Connections That Matter

Understanding the Chief Justice’s role connects to judicial independence. Lifetime tenure protects judges from political pressure. The Chief Justice can make unpopular decisions without fear of removal, maintaining the judiciary’s independence from political branches.

The Chief Justice relates to separation of powers. The judicial branch checks legislative and executive power through judicial review. The Chief Justice leads this checking function, presiding over the Court that can strike down laws and executive actions violating the Constitution.

The Chief Justiceship also connects to constitutional interpretation. How justices interpret the Constitution shapes American law and society. The Chief Justice influences this interpretation through opinion assignments, conference leadership, and personal judicial philosophy.

For more on the Supreme Court, see our article on the judicial branch in the uscis-questions category. To understand judicial review, explore our explanation of Marbury v. Madison. To learn about judicial appointments, read about how federal judges are chosen.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Chief Justice serve?
For life, or until they choose to retire. Chief Justices have lifetime tenure “during good behavior.” They can serve as long as they wish unless removed through impeachment and conviction.

Can the Chief Justice be removed?
Only through impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate, like all federal judges. This requires serious misconduct. No Chief Justice has ever been removed, though Samuel Chase (an associate justice) was impeached but acquitted in 1805.

Does the Chief Justice have more power than other justices?
Not much. The Chief Justice presides over the Court and assigns opinions when in the majority. But the Chief Justice’s vote counts the same as other justices’ votes. The Chief Justice cannot control outcomes.

How much does the Chief Justice get paid?
$302,500 per year as of 2025, slightly more than associate justices who make $290,000. This is set by Congress and cannot be decreased during service.

Can a Chief Justice become an associate justice?
Theoretically yes, but this has never happened. A Chief Justice could resign and be nominated and confirmed as an associate justice. But why step down from leading the Court to become a regular member?

What if the Chief Justice disagrees with the majority?
The Chief Justice can dissent like any justice. When the Chief Justice is in the minority, the senior associate justice in the majority assigns the opinion. The Chief Justice can write a dissenting opinion explaining disagreement.

Does the Chief Justice always write important opinions?
No. The Chief Justice assigns opinions but doesn’t have to self-assign. Some Chief Justices assign major opinions to themselves. Others distribute important cases among justices to share responsibility and build consensus.

Can there be more than nine justices?
Congress sets the number of justices by statute. It has ranged from six to ten historically. Currently it’s nine. Congress could pass a law changing the number, but this would be controversial and difficult politically.

Why is it “Chief Justice of the United States” not “of the Supreme Court”?
The official title emphasizes that the Chief Justice leads the entire federal judiciary, not just the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice has administrative responsibility for all federal courts nationwide.

What should I memorize for the citizenship test?
John Roberts is the current Chief Justice. Know his name. You might also be asked what the Chief Justice does (leads the Supreme Court) or about judicial review (the power to determine if laws are constitutional).