Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since 1991. He is the second African American to serve on the Supreme Court, following Thurgood Marshall. Thomas was born in Pin Point, Georgia in 1948. He was the second of three children born to M.C. Thomas, a farm worker, and Leola Williams, a domestic worker.
Thomas grew up in poverty, living in a small, two-room house with no indoor plumbing. Despite these challenges, he excelled academically and was a standout athlete in high school. He attended Holy Cross College on a full scholarship, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English. He then attended Yale Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1974.
After law school, Thomas worked in private practice for a short time before becoming an Assistant Attorney General in Missouri. In 1979, he was appointed as an Assistant Secretary of Education in the Reagan administration. In 1982, he was nominated by President Reagan to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Thomas to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the retirement of Justice Thurgood Marshall. His confirmation hearings were highly controversial and featured testimony from Anita Hill, a former employee of Thomas, who accused him of sexual harassment. Despite the controversy, Thomas was ultimately confirmed by a vote of 52-48 in the Senate.
Since joining the Supreme Court, Thomas has been a consistently conservative voice, often siding with the Court's other conservative justices on issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and gun control. He is known for his strict interpretation of the Constitution and his skepticism of federal regulation.
In addition to his work on the Supreme Court, Thomas is also known for his efforts to promote education and mentorship for disadvantaged youth. He has spoken publicly about his own experiences growing up in poverty and has made it a priority to reach out to young people in underserved communities.
Overall, Clarence Thomas is a highly influential figure in American law and politics. His unique background and conservative judicial philosophy have made him a controversial figure, but his dedication to public service and education have also earned him the respect of many.
LII: US Supreme Court: Justice Thomas
Voting alignment In his early years on the Court, Thomas voted most frequently with Scalia and Chief Justice The conventional wisdom that Thomas's votes followed Scalia's is reflected by Crawford wrote in her book on the Supreme Court that Thomas's forceful views moved "moderates like Number of opinions and frequency in dissent From when he joined the Court in 1991 through the end of the 2019 term, Thomas had written 693 opinions, not including opinions relating to orders or the " From 1994 to 2004, on average, Thomas was the third-most-frequent dissenter on the Court, behind Stevens and Scalia. Retrieved March 7, 2014. In 1981 Thomas was appointed assistant secretary for civil rights in the U. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit: took oath of office, March 12, 1990. Retrieved March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court)
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Hall overturned 2018 See also: Thomas authored a 5-4 majority opinion in this case that overturned Nevada V. Referring to the acts of violence by which whites had terrorized blacks in the American South in which he grew up, Thomas characterized the televised hearings as a "high-tech lynching. Georgia childhood Clarence Thomas was born in the tiny coastal town of Pin Point, Georgia, on June 23, 1948. Thomas then experienced amenities such as Education Raised At a nun's suggestion, Thomas enrolled at the Having spoken Gullah as a child, Thomas realized in college that he still sounded unpolished despite having been drilled in grammar at school, so he chose to major in Thomas had a series of deferments from the Legal education After graduating from Holy Cross, Thomas attended Literary influences In 1975, when Thomas read economist 's Thomas has said novelist Native Son and Career Early career After graduation, Thomas studied for Thomas moved to Washington, D. Yet, years later, he described his "rage" and loneliness at feeling snubbed by white people who viewed him as someone who could only attend Yale through an affirmative action program. By the time Thomas was finally nominated a year later, however, these fears had not yet been address. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
Biography of Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice
Retrieved March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016. Living with his grandfather meant that he could have meals on a regular basis. Maybe a minister does, maybe your belief in God does, maybe there's another set of moral codes, but I don't think government has a role. Government Positions Although Thomas started from very humble beginnings, he has become one of the most notable figures in the American justice system. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
