[Adams nominated the two first long-term justices, including Chief Justice John Marshall, “The Father of American Constitutional Law.” He had originally nominated former Chief Justice John Jay to serve in that role again, but he declined after nomination. Bushrod Washington was the nephew of George Washington. Moore is often considered a weak selection, since he lacked experience and the knowledge necessary to be an effective Supreme Court judge.]

[Congress raised the number of SC to seven, allowing Jefferson to nominate Todd to fill the new spot. Jefferson was the first president to not have a nominee rejected, decline, or withdrawn. Todd is often considered one of the most insignificant justices for infrequent activity and only one minor dissent.]

Jay 9

Rutledge -1

Cushing 18

Wilson 6

Blair 3

Iredell 6

Johnson 1

Paterson 11

Chase -1

Oliver Ellsworth 13

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Total 65

[Washington had a hard time getting justices to serve and stay on the court. He also had the first Chief Justice rejection (Rutledge), first Chief Justice decline (Cushing), and the first nominated justice to get impeached (Chase). Rutledge served as Chief Justice before his rejection, since he was nominated during a recess appointment. Cushing was serving as an associate judge when he was asked to serve as Chief Justice. Chase was impeached during the Jefferson administration. Washington originally withdrew Paterson’s nomination, but then renominated him later in the same year. John Jay resigned from the Chief Justice spot to serve as governor of New York.]

[The US Senate initially refused to support Butler, who was both a Democrat and disliked by progressives, and as a Catholic, disliked by radicals in the South. In a second effort, Harding lucked out when the Senate allowed him through. Harding picked formed president Taft as Chief Justice, an office Taft always wanted.]

[Benjamin Harrison made all four confirmations quite easily. At one confirmation a year, Harrison had nearly the best luck of any president for nomination. Had he won reelection, it seems likely that he would have had two more confirmations to his name.]

[Brandeis is the first Jewish SC justice; although, Judah P. Benjamin was strongly considered by two presidents just prior to the Civil War.]

[Teddy’s nominations were easily confirmed. Holmes remains as one of the most influential associate judges in SC history. Moody was one of TR’s old Harvard college buddies.]

[Clarence Thomas is the second African-American in history to serve the court. He’s also the first African-American justice to give the oath of office on inauguration day–to VP Mike Pence. Thomas is criticized by some for keeping quiet in important cases, while the other justices are routinely asking questions.]

[Madison had a hard time filling seats. Lincoln, Wolcott, and future president John Quincy Adams were all New Englanders nominated before the eventual New Englander, Joseph Story, took the seat. Lincoln and Adams declined, and Wolcott was rejected by a resounding count 9-24. Duvall served long, but was basically useless, as he routinely allowed Chief Justice Marshall do all his thinking for him. Duvall was also so deaf that he had difficulty hearing cases. Story is generally considered one of the most influential member in court history.]

[Despite Truman’s growing unpopularity in office, he had no problem getting his justices confirmed. Chief Justice Vinson served at the top spot for only 7 years.]

[The US Senate ignored the Matthews nomination, but the next president, Garfield, was able to push him through with a friendlier Senate, when he was confirmed by one vote.]

[Both of Clinton’s appointments are still serving. Both, however, are nearly retirement. Ginsberg could be viewed as the liberal and progressive analogy to Scalia’s iconic status among conservatives. Both were close friends, despite their disagreements.]

[White played football in the NFL. Goldberg served as a justice very briefly, since LBJ took him off the bench and made him the UN Ambassador.]

[Van Buren was lucky with the relative longevity of his selections, a rare success of his presidency.]

[Parker’s rejection was very narrow. Charles Evans Hughes had formally been an associate judge, and then a presidential nominee in 1916.]

[In an otherwise mediocre presidency, his nomination of Stevens was a resounding success. He was unanimously confirmed, and ultimately became a liberal judge as his career progressed.]

[Conkling, Arthur’s old boss, was a controversial figure, opposed to a merit-based civil service reform. While confirmed, he opted not to serve.]

[Roberts was initially an associate justice nominee, but he was withdrawn when a vacancy opened up with Rhenquist’s death. Roberts was renominated for the Chief Justice position and confirmed. Roberts gave the oath of office to the first African-American president (Obama), and to the first president without political or military experience (Trump–he did go to military boarding school, however). Like Roberts, Alito is still active on the court, and both are likely to stay for another decade at least. Harriet Miers was soundly rejected by a bipartisan Senate for having no experience as a judge, a  seeming relatively weak grasp of federal judicial matters, and for her close-personal ties to Bush.]

[Polk’s rejection of Woodward was a rare instance of Polk not getting what he wanted. One of those confirmed, Levi Woodbury, a former presidential candidate, had been a leading Northeastern politician. ]

[In an otherwise notable presidency, McKinley had only one appointment to the SC.

[LBJ’s luck with the court was mixed. He managed to convince a JFK appointee to resign to become UN ambassador so he could fill the spot with Fortas, who was confirmed. However, the Senate filibustered when LBJ attempted to elevate Fortas to the SC. LBJ then withdrew the elevation. Not long after, Fortas was compelled to resign as associate judge after a scandal emerged that he had been accepting illegal money.  Thornberry was nominated to fill Fortas’s spot, but LBJ withdrew him. The one judicial success of this administration was Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice of the SC.]

[Monroe is the first president to nominate only one judge. Thompson Smith had been Monroe’s Sec of the Navy, and was running for president in 1824, shortly after his nomination as judge. He later attempted to run for governor of New York.]

[Coolidge only had one nominee, but Stone would be elevated to the Chief Justice spot by FDR.]

[The nomination of Nathan Clifford was a rare success for Buchanan. Black, who was Buchanan’s Secretary of State when he was nominated, was rejected by the senate by a single vote. Black lived for over 20 more years, which would have increased Buchanan’s influence on the Court greatly had Black been confirmed.]

[Matthews is one of the only legacies left behind by Garfield’s half-year presidency.]

[Except for the appointment of Nelson, no other president probably had as much difficulty appointing a SC justice. Spencer, Walworth and King were nominated multiple time each, consistently having their appointments postponed or ignored by Congress. Read was appointed and ignored only once.]

[Campbell, a Southerner, resigned when the South seceded from the Union.]

[Sotomayor is the first Hispanic-American judge in SC history. Obama is also the only president nominated two women to the SC. Merrick Garland, a very experienced moderate with a history of bipartisan praise, was ignored by the Republican-controlled US Senate in a successful, but controversial effort to keep the seat open for Republican Donald Trump.]

[John Quincy Adams is one of the most unlucky presidents when it comes to SC nomination. His sole confirmation died within Adams’s term. Jacksononian Democratic Congress refused to hear and confirm the admirable John. J. Crittenden of Kentucky in the first “Merrick Garland-like” situation in US history. Crittenden went on to serve as a moderating force in the US legislature leading up to the Civil War.]

Gorsuch 0 *pending confirmation*

——————–

[Trump’s confirmation has been criticized by Democrats, mostly for having come at the expense of Merrick Garland, who’s seat many believed was stolen from him by Republicans who refused to put Garland up to a confirmation vote. As such, there is talk that the Democrats might block Gorsuch, who would need 60 votes for confirmation. However, Republicans have argued that they will change the rules to a simple majority, allowing Gorsuch to take the spot that was once tabbed for Garland. It is notable that Gorsuch is only 49 years old and is, therefore, likely to serve at least three decades on the court. It seems more likely than not that Trump could appoint two to three judges in his single term. As such, if the Democrats retake the Senate in 2018, it is very likely that Trump will face the “Merrick Garland treatment” to one or all appointments.]

——————-

Total 0

[Harrison, due to his brief presidency, is the first president to never appoint a SC justice.]

——————–

Total 0

[Taylor never appointed a judge in his brief presidency. His strong and uncompromising Unionist tendencies would likely have resulted in a selection rejected by Southern senators had he nominated anyone.]

n/a

—————-

Total 0

[Jimmy Carter is the only president to serve at least a full-term as president and never appoint a judge to the SC. If he had, he may have had some trouble getting a confirmation, since his relations with legislative branch wasn’t always the best.]

Stanberry -3

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Total: -3

[Johnson could not get his Attorney General, and his only SC nominee, confirmed since the senate ignored the nominee, even though the nominee was a Republican. It is likely this senate would have “Merrick-Garlanded” every nomination to the court. Johnson is the only president to have a total negative influence on the court.]