Who was the last justice who didn't go to law school?
Asked by: Brenda Bartoletti | Last update: December 20, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (24 votes)
Stanley Forman Reed was the last sitting Justice not to have received a law degree.
Has there ever been a Supreme Court justice without a law degree?
Many of the 18th and 19th century Justices studied law under a mentor because there were few law schools in the country. The last Justice to be appointed who did not attend any law school was James F. Byrnes (1941-1942).
Are there any federal judges without law degrees?
Interestingly, a candidate for a federal judge position does not even need to have a law degree to be nominated. Naturally, the senators involved in confirming an appointment will usually review a candidate's background and will be unlikely to confirm an appointment if a candidate lacks relevant experience.
Which judge does not have to be a lawyer?
Surprisingly, there are two important instances where a non-attorney can become a judge: One is on the United States Supreme Court (there have been non-attorney justices) and the other is at the least end of the scale, in many states the lowest level judge (called a Justice Court Judge in Mississippi) does not have to ...
Which Supreme Court justices have no legal experience?
Several of the best known Chief Justices—John Marshall, Roger Taney, Charles Evans Hughes, and Earl Warren—had no prior judicial experience at all before their appointment to the Supreme Court, but this lack of time on the bench did not work to deny them entry into the pantheon of great Supreme Court justices.
Why aren't Supreme Court Justices required to have a law degree?
Who was the last Supreme Court justice to not attend law school?
Associate Justice James F. Byrnes, whose short tenure lasted from June 1941 to October 1942, was the last Justice without a law degree to be appointed; Stanley Forman Reed, who served on the Court from 1938 to 1957, was the last sitting Justice from such a background.
Who was the shortest serving Supreme Court justice?
John Rutledge, who served on the court twice, was both the shortest serving associate justice, with a tenure of 383 days (1 year, 18 days), and the shortest serving chief justice, with a tenure of 138 days (4 months 16 days).
Is it harder to become a judge or lawyer?
Both are challenging, but, in California, it's more difficult to become a state court judge. I've been fortunate to have filled both positions, but haven't practiced or presided in about 3 years due to a serious accident.
Who is the only Supreme Court justice to be impeached?
It also states that justices shall hold office only during “good Behavior.” Justice Samuel Chase, a Federalist, was impeached in 1804 and tried in 1805 for his intemperate and partisan behavior on the bench. To this date, he is the only Supreme Court justice Congress ever impeached.
What type of lawyer never goes to court?
There are many types of lawyers that rarely (if ever) go into court, as the scope of their work does not require it. These may include estate planning lawyers, labor lawyers, personal injury lawyers, and bankruptcy lawyers.
Can you be a lawyer in the US without a degree?
In four states—California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—you can become a licensed attorney without attending law school at all. In three other states—Maine, New York, and Wyoming—one can substitute an apprenticeship for one or two years of law school.
How do you address a retired judge?
Whether walking into a local restaurant or attending a community event, former judges will continue to be addressed as “judge.” Judges will be hired for jobs not only for their judicial experience, but also for the positive “label” that having a former judge on payroll will bring.
Who can overrule a judge?
Most federal court decisions, and some state court rulings, can be challenged. The U.S. courts of appeals usually have the last word. The nation's 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals.
What president appointed the most Supreme Court justices?
George Washington holds the record for most Supreme Court nominations, with 14 nominations (12 of which were confirmed).
Can someone without a law degree represent you in court?
In court cases, you can represent yourself or be represented by a lawyer. Even for simple and routine matters, you can't go to court for someone else without a law license.
Which Supreme Court justice did not go to an Ivy League school?
The justices who earned their undergraduate degrees at non-Ivy League universities are: Clarence Thomas (Holy Cross) Stephen Breyer (Stanford) Amy Coney Barrett (Rhodes)
Who is the only former president to become a Supreme Court justice?
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and from 1921 to 1930 as the tenth chief justice of the United States, the only person to have held both offices.
What two presidents have been impeached?
- Andrew Johnson in 1868.
- William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton in 1998.
- Donald John Trump in 2019 and 2021.
Has a federal judge ever been assassinated?
John H. Wood Jr. was appointed by President Richard Nixon to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He was assassinated on May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson in the parking lot outside Wood's home in San Antonio, Texas.
Who makes more money, judges or lawyers?
Compared to other law-related occupations, lawyers earn the highest median income. Median lawyer pay is higher than judges and hearing officers ($128,610), arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators ($64,030), court reporters and simultaneous captioners ($63,560), and paralegals and legal assistants ($59,200).
Can you become a judge without passing the bar?
Requirements for a judge vary depending on where they serve. Most states require an applicant to have passed the state bar to be eligible for a judgeship. Federal appointments do not have formal requirements.
Which two justices dated before being on court together?
Decades before they would serve together on the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O'Connor were engaged in a different type of courtship. The two grew close while attending Stanford Law School — they regularly shared notes and eventually became a couple.
Who is the oldest person on the Supreme Court?
- Justice Thomas, 75.
- Justice Alito, 73.
- Justice Sotomayor, 69.
- Chief Justice Roberts, 69.
- Justice Kagan, 63.
- Justice Kavanaugh, 58.
- Justice Gorsuch, 56.
- Justice Jackson, 53.
Why do the justices wear black robes?
The simple black robe has quite a tradition as the "uniform" of justice in the United States and California. That black robe links judges together as we interpret and apply the law in hundreds of courtrooms throughout the state.