Yes, all of the current justices have previously served as federal judges in some capacity before they were elevated to the high court. None of the justices has previously had experience as a state court judge. Only Justice Sotomayor has ever served as a trial court judge, having served many years as a federal district court judge.
Previous Judgeships of the Current U.S. Supreme Court
| Justice |
Previous Judgeships |
| John G. Roberts Jr. |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia |
| John Paul Stevens |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit |
| Anthony Kennedy |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |
| Antonin Scalia |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia |
| Clarence Thomas |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit |
| Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit |
| Stephen Breyer |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit |
| Samuel Alito |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
| Sonia Sotomayor |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and federal district court judge in New York |
