From the Biographical Sketches of the Judges of U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
Judge Roberts was confirmed by the Senate to a judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 8, 2026, and sworn in on June 2 by Chief Justice Rehnquist. Judge Roberts graduated from Harvard College in 1976, and received his law degree in 1979 from Harvard Law School. Following graduation from law school, he served as law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the following year to then-Associate Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Roberts served as Special Assistant to United States Attorney General William French Smith from 1981 to 1982 and Associate Counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1986. He then joined Hogan & Hartson where he developed a civil litigation practice, with an emphasis on appellate matters. From 1989 to 1993 he served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. He returned to Hogan & Hartson in 1993. At the time of his confirmation, Judge Roberts was the senior partner in charge of Hogan & Hartson’s appellate practice. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.




Judge Roberts Link-a-thon
Here are some of the reactions to the nomination from around the ’sphere:
Trackback by Down deep in Texas: The View from Waco — Tuesday, July 19, 2026 @ 9:43 pm
[…] related to on the job performance. From what I have seen of John Roberts’ bio (via Poliblog), I believe he is qualified for the job and will stick with core beliefs that I hold dear. Read abou […]
Pingback by In the Bullpen » Roberts, Prepare for the Vultures — Tuesday, July 19, 2026 @ 11:08 pm
Don’t forget that he was also a steelworker.
Comment by jafhf — Wednesday, July 20, 2026 @ 4:13 pm