which president nominated the most supreme court justices
List of nominations to the Supreme Court of the United States The lifetime tenure, power, and political independence of the judiciary occasionally make nominees quite controversial, and some nominees have failed to win confirmation from the Senate. As of 2017, there have been 161 formal nominations, 124 confirmations (including elevations to Chief Justice and instances where the nominee did not serve), and 113 Supreme Court justices.[1] 39 of the 43 presidents have appointed at least one Supreme Court Justice.[1] George Washington appointed the most Supreme Court Justices (11), followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt (9, including the elevation of one Associate Justice) and Andrew Jackson (6). The table that follows lists Presidential nominees who had been referred for the “advice and consent” of the Senate, in chronological order by date of nomination.
Solicitor General of the United States Other than the justices themselves, the Solicitor General is among the most influential and knowledgeable members of the legal community with regard to Supreme Court litigation. Six Solicitors General have later served on the Supreme Court: William Howard Taft (who served as the 27th President of the United States before becoming Chief Justice of the United States), Stanley Forman Reed, Robert H. Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, and Elena Kagan. Some who have had other positions in the office of the Solicitor General have also later been appointed to the Supreme Court. For example, Chief Justice John Roberts was the Principal Deputy Solicitor General during the George H. W. Bush administration and Associate Justice Samuel Alito was an Assistant to the Solicitor General. The last former Solicitor General to be successfully nominated to the court was Justice Elena Kagan. [5] Only one former Solicitor General has been nominated to the Supreme Court unsuccessfully, that being Robert Bork; however, no sitting Solicitor General has ever been denied such an appointment. Eight other Solicitors General have served on the United States Courts of Appeals.