Judicial appointment quality
All 16 modern US presidents ranked by their net score on this single sub-criterion. Good and harm are scored 0–10 independently; net is good minus harm. Click a name for the full scorecard.
Two SCOTUS: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1993), Stephen Breyer (1994). Both major justices serving decades. ~370 federal judges appointed.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Ginsburg and Breyer became major SCOTUS voices; Ginsburg served 27 years, Breyer 28 years; both widely respected as jurists.
supremecourt.gov ↗
No SCOTUS appointments (only modern president without). Strong lower-court appointments. Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed to DC Circuit. ~250 federal judges appointed.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Carter appointed ~250 federal judges including Ruth Bader Ginsburg (DC Circuit) and Stephen Breyer (1st Circuit) — both later elevated to SCOTUS.
fjc.gov ↗
Appointed 8 Supreme Court justices including Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Robert Jackson, Wiley Rutledge. Generally high-caliber appointments. Black's former Klan membership a notable blemish.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
FDR appointed 8 Supreme Court justices, the most by any president; several (Black, Douglas, Jackson) became major jurisprudential figures of the 20th century.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Ketanji Brown Jackson (2022) — first Black woman SCOTUS justice. ~235 federal judges total — most by any single term except FDR. Highly diverse and qualified.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Jackson confirmation made her first Black woman on SCOTUS; Biden's lower-court appointments were most demographically diverse in history (~64% women, ~63% non-white).
supremecourt.gov ↗
Appointed Earl Warren (CJ), William Brennan, John Marshall Harlan II, Charles Whittaker, Potter Stewart. Warren and Brennan became among the most influential justices in history; Whittaker was weak.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Academic·Unverified
Eisenhower's SCOTUS appointments included two transformational justices (Warren, Brennan) plus high-quality Harlan and Stewart; among the strongest cohorts of the 20th century.
Standard SCOTUS scholarship; Blaustein-Mersky justice ratings
One SCOTUS appointment: John Paul Stevens. Stevens became major moderate-then-liberal justice over 35 years. Strong selection.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Stevens served on SCOTUS for 35 years (1975-2010) and became major moderate-to-liberal voice; widely regarded as a strong Ford appointment.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Two SCOTUS appointments: Byron White, Arthur Goldberg. Both qualified, mid-tier influence. ~125 lower-court appointments.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
White and Goldberg were professionally qualified SCOTUS appointees; both served durably though without era-defining influence.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Two SCOTUS confirmed: Sotomayor (2009), Kagan (2010). Garland nominated (March 2016) but blocked by Senate Republicans 11 months — unprecedented. ~329 federal judges appointed.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Obama appointed two SCOTUS justices (Sotomayor as first Hispanic justice, Kagan); third nominee Garland blocked by Senate Republicans for 11 months — unprecedented obstruction.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Three SCOTUS confirmations: O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy. Promoted Rehnquist to CJ. Failed nomination: Bork. ~400 lower-court appointments via Federalist Society pipeline established systematic conservative judicial influence.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Reagan appointees O'Connor, Scalia, and Kennedy each became consequential SCOTUS justices; Reagan's ~400 federal judicial appointments via Federalist Society pipeline established 40-year conservative judicial movement.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Four SCOTUS appointments: Burger (CJ), Blackmun, Powell, Rehnquist. Burger considered mediocre by most rankings. Blackmun (wrote Roe), Powell, and Rehnquist became major justices. Two failed nominations (Haynsworth, Carswell).
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Academic·Unverified
Nixon's four confirmed appointees were of mixed quality (Burger weak, Rehnquist long-tenured and influential); two failed nominations (Haynsworth, Carswell) were the first SCOTUS rejections since 1930.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Thurgood Marshall (first African American SCOTUS justice). Abe Fortas (later disgraced). Both qualified but Fortas ethical issues.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Marshall as first African American SCOTUS justice was historic appointment; Fortas was distinguished jurist who resigned over ethics issues.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Two SCOTUS appointments: David Souter (became liberal vote, surprising conservatives), Clarence Thomas (lifetime conservative anchor). Quality mixed.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Bush's two SCOTUS picks: Souter as moderate-then-liberal; Thomas as reliable conservative for 30+ years. Both qualified but ideologically inconsistent.
supremecourt.gov ↗
John Roberts (CJ, 2005). Samuel Alito (2006). Failed: Harriet Miers (2005). Both confirmed picks influential; Roberts later wrote ACA and 2020 election decisions controversially.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Roberts and Alito reshaped SCOTUS conservative majority; Roberts became Chief Justice at age 50, projected long influence.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Three SCOTUS: Gorsuch (2017), Kavanaugh (2018), Barrett (2020). Reshaped Court to 6-3 conservative supermajority. ~234 federal judges total. Federalist Society pipeline produced credentialed nominees. Calibration v1.1 revision: 5/4→6/4 per cross-president-rankings.md — 8.4 measures appointee credentials/quality, not subsequent activist rulings (which go in 8.6).
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 1·Historical record·Unverified
Trump T1 appointed three SCOTUS justices reshaping Court to 6-3 conservative supermajority that subsequently decided Dobbs (2022), Bruen (2022), and Trump v. Anderson (2024).
supremecourt.gov ↗
Four SCOTUS appointments: Burton, Vinson (CJ), Clark, Minton. Generally considered low quality by scholarly rankings; cronyism criticism. Vinson Court was weak between Stone and Warren.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- harm·Tier 2·Academic·Unverified
Truman's four SCOTUS appointments are typically ranked among the lowest-quality cohorts; all four were personal friends or political allies.
supremecourt.gov ↗
Federal judicial appointments continuing through term. Quality contested. Federalist Society pipeline. Potential SCOTUS vacancy possible during term.
View 1 source →Hide sources ↑
- good·Tier 2·Historical record·Unverified
Trump T2 continuing federal judicial appointment pipeline via Federalist Society; specific quality assessment pending observation window.
uscourts.gov ↗