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Chief Justice Quotes

On the bench, the bar, and lasting rulings.

These quotes examine how much real authority a chief justice actually holds among fellow justices, alongside personal memories of courtroom praise. It connects with our American quotes page on national institutions.

At the conclusion of my argument I received very high compliments from the Chief Justice and later from other of the Judges. What they said I do not care to repeat.

Quotes by William Henry Moody

The death of chief justice Rehnquist and the president's nomination of John Roberts raises the stakes for the court and the American people exponentially.

Quotes by Ralph G. Neas

The Democrats' drive to defeat Neil Gorsuch is the latest battle in a 50-year war for control of the Supreme Court - a war that began with a conspiracy against Richard Nixon by Chief Justice Earl Warren, Justice Abe Fortas...

Quotes by Pat Buchanan

It is a great thing about having young children, is that they don't really care whether you're the chief justice or whatever, and they do make sure that you have a good perspective on life and what's important.

Quotes by John Roberts

Abe Quotes

A chief justice's authority is really quite limited, and the dynamic among all the justices is going to affect whether he can accomplish much or not. There is this convention of referring to the Taney Court, the Marshall Court, the...

Quotes by John Roberts

If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God's word and had desired to do the Lord's will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would never have been made.

Quotes by Jerry Falwell

It's now up to the full Senate to move swiftly to confirm John Roberts so he can assume his duties and responsibilities as chief justice when the Supreme Court begins its new term in a matter of weeks. We call...

Quotes by Jay Alan Sekulow

Soon after I returned to private practice, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger called me one day.

Quotes by Fred F. Fielding

She wanted us to feel we were above everyone in the town. She really did tell us that we were related to Chief Justice John Marshall, and that may have been true. I never did bother to find out.

Quotes by Fay Wray

American Quotes

The irony of the Supreme Court hearing on these cases last week and of the outright hostility that the Court has displayed against religion in recent years is that above the head of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court...

Quotes by Cliff Stearns

Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has decided a string of 5-4 decisions in which the Republican-appointed majority votes as a block in favor of corporations, overlooking workers and families looking for a fair shake.

Quotes by Bob Casey, Jr.

I would love to get Chief Justice John Roberts for an interview. I think that would be fascinating, I think that Supreme Court nominees should do more interviews.

Quotes by Ari Melber

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do these Chief Justice quotes focus on?
They examine judicial authority, courtroom dynamics among fellow justices, and how history has judged specific rulings made from the highest bench. The tone ranges from personal memory to critical reflection.
Is a chief justice described as having unlimited power?
No, one quote argues the role carries fairly limited authority on its own, with real influence depending heavily on the dynamic among all the justices together.
Do any quotes reference a specific landmark ruling?
Yes, one quote reflects critically on the 1954 decision associated with Chief Justice Warren, arguing it would have gone differently under different guiding principles.
Is there a personal, non-legal reflection in this collection?
One speaker notes that young children don't care whether a parent is chief justice or not, offering perspective on life outside the courtroom.
Where can I find more quotes about law and national institutions?
Our American quotes page covers national institutions more broadly, and argument quotes explores legal and rhetorical reasoning.

One quote looks back critically at a landmark ruling from a chief justice, showing how debate over these decisions outlives the bench itself. See our argument quotes page for more on legal reasoning.