who was the first supreme court justice

John Jay was the first justice to serve as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Quick Scoop

• Name: John Jay

• Role: First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

• Appointed by: President George Washington

• Year the Court was created: 1789, under the Judiciary Act of 1789

• Court’s first meeting: Early 1790 (the Court first convened in February 1790)

Mini Timeline

1. 1789 – Congress passes the Judiciary Act, formally creating the Supreme Court.

2. 1789 – George Washington nominates John Jay as the first Chief Justice.

3. 1790 – The Supreme Court holds its first session with Jay presiding.

In short, if someone asks, “Who was the first Supreme Court Justice?” the historically accurate answer is John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States.

TL;DR: The first Supreme Court justice (specifically, the first Chief Justice) was John Jay, appointed by George Washington in 1789 after the Judiciary Act created the Supreme Court.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.