Justices Jackson, Sotomayor, Gorsuch Report Earning Large Sums From Books

Annual financial disclosures from the Supreme Court paint a partial picture of the justices’s finances, including some attention-getting book deals.

Supreme Court justices pose for their official photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. (Front L–R) Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Elena Kagan. (Back L–R) Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Three U.S. Supreme Court justices reported significant earnings from books they’ve published, according to disclosures from eight of the nine justices released on Tuesday.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported a $2,068,750 book advance from Penguin Random House for her 2024 memoir, “Lovely One,” which details her life story, the disclosure shows. In 2023, Jackson had reported a $900,000 advance payment for the memoir. She joined the court in 2022.

Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor earned more than $250,000 and $130,000, respectively, from royalties and book advances, according to the disclosures.

Gorsuch published a book last summer titled “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” by HarperCollins Publishers, which includes his opinions on government regulations. He also earned roughly $30,000 in teaching income from George Mason University.

Sotomayor, a prolific author since joining the bench in 2009, earned a Penguin House advance for a children’s book, “Just Shine,” earning $60,000 for that effort, which is set to be released this year. She also earned around $34,000, $36,000, and $2,000 for book royalties, which were not specifically named in the report.

The justices earn a salary of $303,600 for their work on the Supreme Court, except for Chief Justice John Roberts, who is paid $317,500.

Aside from Gorsuch, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett reported around $30,000 each in school teaching jobs. Both Barrett and Kavanaugh taught at the University of Notre Dame’s law school in South Bend, Indiana, according to the report.

Kavanaugh also reported that he continues to coach girls’ basketball, according to the disclosure. In 2024, Kavanaugh reported being paid $340,000 by Regnery Publishing, while Gorsuch and Sotomayor reported royalty income of $250,000 and nearly $90,000 last year, respectively.

Roberts on Tuesday reported teaching a two-week course in Galway, Ireland, in July 2024, but said he wasn’t paid until February. His compensation will be in the report that’s released a year from now.

The only justice whose report was not available Tuesday was Samuel Alito. Alito, as he does most years, received an extension for up to 90 days.

Several of the nine justices also reported international travel in Tuesday’s disclosure, with Sotomayor traveling to Austria, Panama, and Switzerland, while Gorsuch traveled to Germany and Portugal. Roberts traveled to Ireland.

Justice Clarence Thomas, who in recent years has been the focus of watchdogs for trips he had received, did not disclose any trips or gifts. In the disclosure, he made note of a life insurance policy that he said was omitted in prior reports.

The policy was bought in 2001 and was being disclosed now because of confusion regarding “whether the policy needed to be disclosed,” the justice said. Previously, Thomas said that he did not believe he needed to disclose prior travel that he was gifted.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court released a document saying it had adopted formal ethics rules and principles, which the justices had adhered to. They said at the time that the code was adopted to dispel any misunderstandings and would represent “a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”

The annual reports paint a partial picture of the justices’ finances, as they are not required to reveal the value of their homes or, for those who are married, their spouses’ salaries. Their investments are also reported in ranges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.