John G. Roberts, Jr. has advocated and implemented a refocusing of the Supreme Court to an era of judicial restraint and deference to the existing power structure in American politics. Roberts was born in Buffalo, New York on January 27, 1955. He lived in New York briefly before moving with his family to Indiana in 1959. Roberts attended the local elementary school and then entered a boarding high school, La Lumiere in La Porte, Indiana. He excelled at school and turned to theater and music for a more creative outlet. He exhibited strong leadership skills early in his life; evidenced by his role as captain of the football team, even though he was a mediocre player. Roberts’ hard work and affinity for education led him to Harvard University. Here, as an undergraduate, Roberts tirelessly pursued his dream of becoming a history professor and graduated summa cum laude in three years.
It was not until Roberts enrolled in Harvard Law that he found his passion for the legal field. During his time there, Roberts became the managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. In 1979, Roberts graduated law school magna cum laude. Upon graduation, Roberts clerked for Judge Henry Friendly for a year before clerking for Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist in 1980. This clerkship heightened his profile among the elite in Washington, D.C. Two years later, Roberts worked as an aide to U.S. Attorney General William French Smith. Roberts then earned a position as an aide to the White House counsel Fred Fielding, who served during the Reagan administration. After a two-year period in the private sector as an associate at Hogan & Hartson, Roberts was appointed Principal Deputy Solicitor General by George H.W. Bush. This appointment lasted for three years and in 1993, Roberts returned to Hogan & Hartson. It was not until another Bush took office that Roberts left Hogan & Hartson.
President George W. Bush nominated Roberts as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2003. In 2005, Bush originally nominated Roberts to fill the seat left by Sandra Day O’Connor when she announced her plans to retire, but after Chief Justice Rehnquist died, Bush withdrew his nomination in order to nominate him to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States instead. During his confirmation hearings, the Senate responded very well to his kind Midwestern demeanor and his promise of refocusing the court into a limited role of interpreter, not creator, of laws. The Senate confirmed his nomination, making Roberts the youngest Chief Justice in 100 years. Roberts remained a political pragmatist on the bench, a persona he developed working in the executive branch under Republican leadership.
