Supreme Court justices historically serve about 26 years on average

Evidence

For justices who completed their service on the Supreme Court over the last 20 years, the average period on the bench was about 26 years, with lower-court judges serving about 20 years. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 461

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth noting whether the 26-year average has shifted upward in recent decades as justices retire later.
• CANDY: A concrete stat on judicial tenure usable in casual conversation about court terms.
• XREF: connects to: Supreme Court justices commonly serve decades beyond the president who appointed them — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 509; Federal judges serve extremely long tenures averaging twenty years or more. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 461

Broader Connections

• Federal judges serve extremely long tenures averaging twenty years or more. #corroborates (0.95) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 461
• Supreme Court justices commonly serve decades beyond the president who appointed them #expands (0.90) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 509