Supreme Court Nominee Judicial Experience: By the Numbers (1)

Supreme Court justices aren’t required to have judicial experience or even be lawyers, but those who have served on federal appellate courts dominate the list of justices confirmed since the mid 1970s.

Twelve of the 14 justices from Antonin Scalia to Amy Coney Barrett brought circuit court experience. Five spent time on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is often called a springboard to the high court.

Ketanji Brown Jackson is the only one among three judges mentioned most prominently as potential replacements for the retiring Stephen Breyer checks the federal appellate box. She’s on the ...