How Does One Become the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
The U.S. Supreme Court is comprised of nine judges--or justices--with the "chief justice" as the leader. This person is the spokesman for the judiciary and directs the business of the court, among other roles.
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History
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The first chief justice was diplomat and politician John Jay, nominated by George Washington. Jay set the stage for chief justices who did not have exclusive legal backgrounds.
Forming the Position
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The Constitution mentions nothing about how the chief justice is chosen or what he should do. The document only makes passing reference to the position in Article I, Section 3, Clause 6. The role has evolved over time.
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Nomination by the President
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The U.S. President must nominate a person for the role. Sometimes the president nominates an associate justice to be "promoted" to chief justice. Other times, he nominates someone not currently on the Supreme Court. The nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Education
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Chief Justices are highly educated in the law and in recent years have come through the top law schools. Five the eight justices (one spot was vacant) as of July 2010--including the chief justice--spent at least some time at Harvard.
Legal Background
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Chief justices come from a variety of professional backgrounds, but they often begin as a clerk to a sitting justice, eventually rising to serve on an appellate court.
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References
- Photo Credit Justice image by MVit from Fotolia.com
