A native of Buffalo, NY, John G. Roberts, Jr. has served as the Chief Justice of the United States since September 29, 2005. In this capacity, Roberts serves as the head of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which functions as the policymaking body for all US federal courts.

 

Roberts received a BA from Harvard College in 1976 and a JD from Harvard Law School in 1979. He served as a law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1979–1980 and as a law clerk for then-Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist of the Supreme Court during the 1980 term.

 

Roberts was special assistant to the US Attorney General from 1981–1982 and associate counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1982–1986. He then went into private practice, joining the firm Hogan & Hartson.

 

Roberts rejoined government ranks when he accepted the position of Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Justice Department from 1989–1993. During this time, Roberts argued 39 cases for the government before the Supreme Court, prevailing in 25 of them. He represented 18 states in United States v. Microsoft. In 1992, President George H. W. Bush nominated Roberts to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but no Senate vote was held, and Roberts’ nomination expired when Bush left office after losing the 1992 presidential election.

 

In 1993, Roberts went back to Hogan & Hartson and stayed there until 2003 when President George W. Bush successfully appointed Roberts to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, gaining Senate approval.

 

Roberts also has served as an adjunct faculty member at the Georgetown University Law Center.