The Volokh Conspiracy
[Puzzleblogger Kevan Choset, September 30, 2005 at 12:20pm] Trackbacks
Supreme Order:

Where does John Roberts fit in this ordered list?

  • O'Connor

  • Scalia, Stevens

  • Kennedy

  • Ginsburg

  • Souter

  • Breyer

  • Thomas

Justin (mail):
Between Breyer and Thomas
9.30.2005 12:23pm
Paul N (mail):
Justin is right - # of yea votes
9.30.2005 12:39pm
A.S.:
"yea votes" for what? Can't be for the Supreme Court, because there is no Justice "Stephens".
9.30.2005 12:43pm
Brogie62:
Stephens? I thought it was Justice Stevens?
9.30.2005 12:44pm
Paul N (mail):
Now, try putting Roberts on my list. This is a real list - you can figure it out - probably it's easiest to start by thinking of what the last 3 judges have in common.

Souter

Scalia

Thomas

Ginsburg

Stevens

Breyer, Kennedy, O'Connor
9.30.2005 12:49pm
Steve:
Breyer, Kennedy, and O'Connor all went to Stanford, but I'm not clear how that would fit into a list.
9.30.2005 1:24pm
Kevan Choset (mail):
Woops... corrected the spelling error.
9.30.2005 1:26pm
Gordon (mail):
Here's another list:

Breyer
Ginsburg
Kennedy
Stevens
Scalia
Roberts
Thomas
Souter
O'Connor

What is its significance (other than they haven't been in your kitchen)?
9.30.2005 1:52pm
Justin (mail):
Gordon, without googling, it APPEARS to be approximately in order of how long they spent as circuit judges (though Ginsburg seems high).
9.30.2005 2:10pm
Cheburashka (mail):
They haven't been in my living room either.
9.30.2005 2:13pm
Jack John (mail):
It can't be based on degrees of blackness, because Scalia would be closest to Thomas, and Souter would be the farthest away.
9.30.2005 2:34pm
Anderson (mail) (www):
Scalia---the second black justice?
9.30.2005 2:42pm
Scipio (mail) (www):
Is that like Clinton, the first black president?
9.30.2005 4:02pm
Gordon (mail):
Justin, you are right.

Ginsburg was on the D.C. Circuit for over 13 years, a few months fewer than Breyer and a few more than Kennedy.

Interestingly, on January 1, 1969, a similar list would have had six justices tied for last, with no federal appellate court experience. If Sandra Day O'Connor is replaced by a federal appeals court judge, the triumph of the circuits will be complete.
9.30.2005 4:14pm
James Taranto (mail) (www):
None of them have been in my kitchen.
10.1.2005 12:29am
Paul N (mail):
Well, my list was by age of undergraduate institution (Souter's Harvard is the oldest; Stanford is the youngest). Apparently I'm not as good of a puzzle writer as Kevan.
10.1.2005 2:13am
Tom Tildrum:
Where does Roberts fit on a list ordered by net worth?
10.2.2005 11:59am

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