List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

The following is a list of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court which are broken down by pre- and post-statehood appointments. Historically, only three individuals have declined appointment to the Court which all occurred during the Provincial Congress period: William Reed in 1775, Robert Treat Paine in 1776, and James Warren in 1777. In the modern era, mandatory retirement has been a requirement when a given justice reaches the age of 70. This has been in place since 1976 when Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro stepped down.

Current justices

Title	Name	Began active service	Appointed by	Reaches age 70
Chief Justice	Kimberly S. Budd	2020	Charlie Baker	2036
Associate Justice	Frank Gaziano	2016		2034
Associate Justice	Scott L. Kafker	2017		2029
Associate Justice	Dalila Argaez Wendlandt	2020		2038
Associate Justice	Serge Georges Jr.	2020		2038
Associate Justice	Bessie Dewar	2024	Maura Healey	2050
Associate Justice	Gabrielle Wolohojian	2024		2030

Superior Court of Judicature (1692–1780)

•   Appointed by Provincial Congress

Chief Justices

Justice			Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
1		William Stoughton (1631–1701)	Inaugural	1692 – July 7, 1701 (Died)	Sir William Phips
2		Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	W. Stoughton	1701 – 1701 (Resigned)	Governor's Council
3		Isaac Addington (1645–1719)	W. Winthrop	1702 – 1703 (Resigned)	Joseph Dudley
4		Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	I. Addington	1708 – November 7, 1717 (Died)
5		Samuel Sewall (1652–1730)	W. Winthrop	1718 – 1728 (Resigned)	Samuel Shute
6		Benjamin Lynde Sr. (1666–1749)	Sa. Sewall	1729 – January 28, 1745 (Died)	William Burnet
7		Paul Dudley (1666–1751)	B. Lynde Sr.	1745 – January 25, 1751 (Died)	William Shirley
8		Stephen Sewall (1702–1760)	P. Dudley	1751 – September 10, 1760 (Died)
9		Thomas Hutchinson (1711–1780)	St. Sewall	1761 – 1769 (Became Acting Governor)	Francis Bernard
10		Benjamin Lynde Jr. (1700–1781)	T. Hutchinson	1769 – 1771 (Resigned)	Thomas Hutchinson
11		Peter Oliver (1713–1791)	B. Lynde Jr.	1772 – 1775 (Removed from office)
12		John Adams (1735–1826)	Inaugural	1775 – 1776 (Never presided, resigned)	Provincial Congress
13		William Cushing (1732–1810)	J. Adams	1777 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)

Associate Justices

Justice			Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
1		Thomas Danforth (bapt. 1623–1699)	Inaugural	1692 – November 5, 1699 (Died)	Sir William Phips
2		Wait Winthrop (1642–1717)	Inaugural	1692 – 1701 (Continued as Chief Justice)
3		John Richards (bef. 1630–1694)	Inaugural	1692 – April 2, 1694 (Died)
4		Samuel Sewall (1652–1730)	Inaugural	1692 – 1718 (Continued as Chief Justice)
5		Elisha Cooke Sr. (1637–1715)	J. Richards	1695 – 1702 (Resigned)	William Stoughton
6		John Walley (d. 1712)	T. Danforth	1700 – 1712 (Died)
7		John Saffin (bapt. 1626–1710)	W. Winthrop	1701 – 1702 (Appointment not renewed)	Governor's Council
8		John Hathorne (1641–1717)	E. Cooke	1702 – 1712 (Resigned)	Joseph Dudley
9		John Leverett (1662–1724)	J. Saffin	1702 – 1708 (Resigned)
10		Jonathan Corwin (1640–1718)	J. Leverett	1708 – 1717 (Appointment not renewed)
11		Benjamin Lynde Sr. (1666–1749)	Vacant	1712 – 1729 (Continued as Chief Justice)
12		Nathaniel Thomas (1643–1718)		1712 – October 22, 1718 (Died)
13		Addington Davenport (1670–1736)	J. Corwin	December 9, 1715 – April 3, 1736 (Died)	William Tailer
14		Edmund Quincy III (1681–1737)	Vacant	1718 – February 23, 1737 (Died)	Samuel Shute
15		Paul Dudley (1666–1751)		1718 – 1751 (Continued as Chief Justice)
16		John Cushing	B. Lynde Sr.	1728 – 1733 (Resigned)	William Burnet
17		Jonathan Remington (1677–1745)	J. Cushing	1733 – September 20, 1745 (Died)	Jonathan Belcher
18		Richard Saltonstall	A. Davenport	1736 – 1756 (Resigned)
19		Thomas Graves (1684–1747)	E. Quincy	1737 – 1738 (Resigned)
20		Stephen Sewall (1702–1760)	T. Graves	1739 – 1745 (Continued as Chief Justice)
21		Nathaniel Hubbard (1680–1748)	P. Dudley	1745 – 1746	William Shirley
22		Benjamin Lynde Jr. (1700–1781)	J. Remington	1747 – 1769 (Continued as Chief Justice)
23		John Cushing Jr.	N. Hubbard	1747 – 1771 (Resigned)
24		Chambers Russell (1713–1766)	St. Sewall	1752 – 1766 (Died)	Spencer Phips
25		Peter Oliver (1713–1791)	R. Saltonstall	1756 – 1772 (Continued as Chief Justice)	William Shirley
26		Edmund Trowbridge (1709–1793)	C. Russell	1767 – 1775 (Removed from office)	Francis Bernard
27		Foster Hutchinson (1724–1799)	B. Lynde Jr.	1771 – 1775 (Removed from office)	Thomas Hutchinson
28		Nathaniel Ropes (1726–1774)	Vacant	1772 – 1774 (Died)
29		William Cushing (1732–1810)		1772 – 1775 (Reorganization of Court)
30		William Brown (1737–1802)	N. Ropes	1774 – 1775 (Removed from office)
31		William Cushing (1732–1810)	Inaugural	1775 – 1776 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Provincial Congress
32		Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Inaugural	1775 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)
33		Jedediah Foster (1726–1779)	Inaugural	1776 – October 17, 1779 (Died)
34		James Sullivan (1744–1808)	Inaugural	March 1776 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)
35		David Sewall (1735–1825)	W. Cushing	1777 – 1780 (Constitution of 1780)

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (1780–present)

List of justices

Image	Justice	Position	Succeeded	Tenure	Appointed by
	William Cushing (1732–1810)	Chief Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1789 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)
—	Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1791 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	David Sewall (1735–1825)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1789 (Appointed to U.S. District Court)
	James Sullivan (1744–1808)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1780 – 1782 (Resigned)
	Francis Dana (1743–1811)	Associate Justice	J. Foster (1779)	1785 – 1806 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Increase Sumner (1746–1799)	Associate Justice	J. Sullivan	1782 – 1787 (Resigned to become Governor)	John Hancock
—	Nathaniel Sargent (1731–1791)	Chief Justice	W. Cushing	1790 – October 2, 1791 (Died)
	Robert Treat Paine (1731–1814)	Associate Justice	D. Sewall	1790 – 1804 (Resigned)
—	Nathan Cushing (1742–1812)	Associate Justice	N. Sargent (as Associate Justice)	1790 – 1800 (Resigned)
	Francis Dana (1743–1811)	Chief Justice	N. Sargent (as Chief Justice)	1791 – 1806 (Resigned)
	Thomas Dawes (1731–1809)	Associate Justice	F. Dana	1792 – 1802 (Resigned)
—	Theophilus Bradbury (1739–1803)	Associate Justice	I. Sumner	1797 – July 1803 (Removed due to poor health)
	Samuel Sewall (1757–1814)	Associate Justice	N. Cushing	1800 – 1814 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Caleb Strong
	Theodore Sedgwick (1746–1813)	Associate Justice	T. Dawes	1802 – January 24, 1813 (Died)
—	Simeon Strong (1736–1805)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1801 – 1805 (Died)
	George Thatcher (1754–1824)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1801 – January 1824 (Resigned)
	Theophilus Parsons (1750–1813)	Chief Justice	F. Dana	1806 – October 13, 1813 (Died)
	Isaac Parker (1768–1830)	Associate Justice	S. Strong	1806 – 1814 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Charles Jackson (1775–1855)	Associate Justice	T. Sedgwick	1813 – 1823 (Resigned)
	Samuel Sewall (1757–1814)	Chief Justice	T. Parsons	1814 – June 8, 1814 (Died)
	Daniel Dewey (1766–1815)	Associate Justice	S. Sewall	1814 – May 26, 1815 (Died)
—	Samuel Putnam	Associate Justice	I. Parker (as Associate Justice)	1814 – 1842 (Resigned)
	Isaac Parker (1768–1830)	Chief Justice	S. Sewall	1814 – July 25, 1830 (Died)
—	Samuel Wilde (1771–1855)	Associate Justice	D. Dewey	1815 – 1850 (Resigned)
	Levi Lincoln Jr. (1782–1868)	Associate Justice	G. Thatcher	1824 – 1825 (Elected Governor)	William Eustis
	Marcus Morton (1784–1864)	Associate Justice	L. Lincoln Jr.	1825 – 1840 (Elected Governor)	Levi Lincoln Jr.
	Lemuel Shaw (1781–1861)	Chief Justice	I. Parker	August 30, 1830 – August 21, 1860 (Resigned)
—	Charles Augustus Dewey (1793–1866)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1837 – 1866 (Died)	Edward Everett
—	Samuel Hubbard (d. 1847)	Associate Justice	S. Putnam	1842 – 1847 (Died)	John Davis
	Theron Metcalf (1784–1875)	Associate Justice	M. Morton I (1840)	1848 – 1865 (Resigned)	George N. Briggs
—	Charles E. Forbes (1795–1881)	Associate Justice	T. Metcalf	1848 – 1848 (Resigned)
	Richard Fletcher (1788–1869)	Associate Justice	C. Forbes	1848 – 1853 (Resigned)
	George Tyler Bigelow (1810–1878)	Associate Justice	S. Wilde	1850 – 1860 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Caleb Cushing (1800–1879)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1852 – 1853 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)	George S. Boutwell
	Benjamin Thomas (1813–1878)	Associate Justice	R. Fletcher	1853 – 1859 (Resigned)	John H. Clifford
	Pliny Merrick (1794–1867)	Associate Justice	C, Cushing	1853 – 1864 (Resigned)
	Ebenezer R. Hoar (1816–1895)	Associate Justice	J. Nolan	1859 – 1869 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)	Nathaniel Prentice Banks
	George Tyler Bigelow (1810–1878)	Chief Justice	L. Shaw	1860 – 1867 (Resigned)
	Reuben Atwater Chapman (1801–1873)	Associate Justice		1860 – 1868 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Horace Gray (1828–1902)	Associate Justice	N. Clifford	1864 – September 15, 1873 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John Albion Andrew
—	James Denison Colt (1819–1881)	Associate Justice	T. Metcalf	1865 – 1866 (Resigned)
	Dwight Foster (1828–1884)	Associate Justice	C. A. Dewey	1866 – 1869 (Resigned)	Alexander H. Bullock
—	John Wells (d. 1875)	Associate Justice	J. D. Colt	1866 – 1875 (Died)
	Reuben Atwater Chapman (1801–1873)	Chief Justice	G. T. Bigelow	1868 – June 28, 1873 (Died)
—	James Denison Colt (1819–1881)	Associate Justice	R. A. Chapman	1868 – 1881 (Died)
	Marcus Morton II (1819–1891)	Associate Justice	E. Hoar	1869 – 1882 (Continued as Chief Justice)	William Claflin
—	Seth Ames (1805–1881)	Associate Justice	D. Foster	1869 – 1881 (Resigned)
	Horace Gray (1828–1902)	Chief Justice	R. A. Chapman	September 15, 1873 – January 9, 1882 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)	William B. Washburn
	Charles Devens (1820–1891)	Associate Justice	H. Gray	1873 – 1877 (Appointed U.S. Attorney General)
	William Endicott (1826–1900)	Associate Justice	Inaugural	1873 – 1882 (Resigned)
—	Otis Lord (1812–1884)	Associate Justice	J. Wells	1875 – 1882 (Resigned)	William Gaston
	Augustus Soule (1827–1887)	Associate Justice	C. Devens	March 27, 1877 – April 11, 1881 (Resigned)	Alexander H. Rice
	Walbridge A. Field (1833–1899)	Associate Justice	S. Ames	1881 – September 4, 1890 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John D. Long
—	William Allen (d. 1891)	Associate Justice		1881 – 1891 (Died)
	Charles Devens (1820–1891)	Associate Justice	A. Soule	1881 – 1891 (Died)
	Marcus Morton II (1819–1891)	Chief Justice	H. Gray	1882 – 1890 (Resigned)
	Waldo Colburn (1824–1885)	Associate Justice	W. C. Endicott	November 10, 1882 – September 26, 1885 (Died)
	Charles Allen (1827–1913)	Associate Justice	M. Morton II	1882 – 1898 (Resigned)
	Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)	Associate Justice	O. Lord	1882 – 1899 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	William Gardner (1827–1888)	Associate Justice	W. Colburn	1885 – 1887 (Resigned)	George D. Robinson
	Marcus Perrin Knowlton (1839–1918)	Associate Justice	W. Gardner	1887 – 1902 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Oliver Ames
	Walbridge A. Field (1833–1899)	Chief Justice	M. Morton	September 4, 1890 – July 15, 1899 (Died)	John Q. A. Brackett
	James Madison Morton Sr. (1837–1923)	Associate Justice		1890 – 1913 (Resigned)
	James Barker (1839–1905)	Associate Justice	W. Allen	1891 – October 2, 1905 (Died)	William Russell
	John Lathrop (1835–1910)	Associate Justice		1891 – 1906 (Resigned)
	John Wilkes Hammond (1837–1922)	Associate Justice	C. Allen	1898 – 1914 (Resigned)	Roger Wolcott
	Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)	Chief Justice	W. A. Field	August 2, 1899 – December 4, 1902 (Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)
	William Loring (1851–1930)	Associate Justice	O. W. Holmes	September 7, 1899 – September 16, 1919 (Resigned)
	Henry Braley (1850–1929)	Associate Justice	M. P. Knowlton	1902 – 1929 (Died)	Winthrop M. Crane
	Marcus Perrin Knowlton (1839–1918)	Chief Justice	O. W. Holmes	1902 – September 7, 1911 (Resigned)
	Henry Sheldon	Associate Justice	Barker	1905 – 1915 (Resigned)	William Lewis Douglas
	Arthur Prentice Rugg (1862–1938)	Associate Justice	J. Lathrop	1906 – 1911 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Curtis Guild Jr.
	Arthur Prentice Rugg (1862–1938)	Chief Justice	M. P. Knowlton	1911 – June 12, 1938 (Died)	Eugene Foss
	Charles DeCourcy (1857–1924)	Associate Justice	A.P. Rugg	1911 – 1924 (Died)
	John C. Crosby (1859–1943)	Associate Justice	J. Morton	December 31, 1913 – October 1, 1937 (Resigned)	David I. Walsh
—	Edward Pierce (1852–1938)	Associate Justice	J. Hammond	1914 – 1937 (Resigned)
—	James Carroll (d. 1932)	Associate Justice	Sheldon	1915 – 1932 (Died)
—	Charles Jenney (1860–1923)	Associate Justice	W. Loring	1919 – November 29, 1923 (Died)	Calvin Coolidge
	William C. Wait (1860–1935)	Associate Justice	C. Jenney	1923 – 1934 (Resigned)	Channing H. Cox
—	George A. Sanderson (1863–1932)	Associate Justice	W. Wait	1924 – 1932 (Died)
—	Fred Tarbell Field (1876–1950)	Associate Justice	H. Braley	January 30, 1929 – June 30, 1938 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Frank G. Allen
—	Charles Donahue (1877–1952)	Associate Justice		March 17, 1932 – April 26, 1944(Resigned)	Joseph B. Ely
—	Henry T. Lummus	Associate Justice		1932 – 1955
—	Stanley Elroy Qua (1880–1965)	Associate Justice		1934 – 1947 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Arthur Dolan (1876–1949)	Associate Justice	J. C. Crosby	1937 – August 20, 1949 (Resigned)	Charles F. Hurley
	Louis Cox (1874–1961)	Associate Justice	Edward Pierce	1937 – 1944 (Resigned)
—	Fred Tarbell Field (1876–1950)	Chief Justice	A. P. Rugg	June 30, 1938 – July 24, 1947 (Resigned)
—	James Ronan (d. 1959)	Associate Justice	F. T. Field	1938 – 1959 (Died)
—	Raymond Sanger Wilkins (1891–1971)	Associate Justice	L. Cox	1944 – 1956 (Continued as Chief Justice)	Leverett Saltonstall
—	John Spalding	Associate Justice	C. Donahue	1944 – 1971
—	Stanley Elroy Qua (1880–1965)	Chief Justice	F. T. Field	1947 – 1956 (Resigned)	Robert F. Bradford
	Harold P. Williams (1882–1963)	Associate Justice	S. Qua	1947 – 1962 (Resigned)
	Edward Counihan (1882–1961)	Associate Justice	A. Dolan	1949 – 1960 (Resigned)	Paul A. Dever
—	Arthur Whittemore (1896–1969)	Associate Justice	H. Lummus	October 1955 – October 1, 1969 (Died)	Christian Herter
—	Raymond Sanger Wilkins (1891–1971)	Chief Justice	S. E. Qua	1956 – 1970(Resigned)
—	R. Ammi Cutter	Associate Justice		1956 – 1972
	Paul G. Kirk Sr. (1904–1981)	Associate Justice	E. Counihan	November 23, 1960 – December 15, 1970 (Resigned)	Foster Furcolo
—	Jacob Spiegel (1902–1984)	Associate Justice	J. Ronan	1960 – 1972 (Resigned)
—	G. Joseph Tauro (1906–1994)	Associate Justice		1961 – 1970 (Continued as Chief Justice)	John Volpe
—	Paul Reardon (1909–1988)	Associate Justice	H. P. Williams	1962 – 1977 (Resigned)
—	G. Joseph Tauro (1906–1994)	Chief Justice	R. S. Wilkins	1970 – 1976 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Francis Quirico	Associate Justice		1969 – 1981	Francis W. Sargent
—	Robert Braucher (1916–1981)	Associate Justice	P. Kirk	January 18, 1971 – August 26, 1981 (Died)
—	Edward F. Hennessey (1919–2007)	Associate Justice	J. Spalding	1971 – 1976 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Benjamin Kaplan (1911–2010)	Associate Justice	R. A. Cutter	1972 – 1981 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Herbert P. Wilkins (1930–)	Associate Justice	J. Spiegel	1972 – 1996 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Edward F. Hennessey (1919–2007)	Chief Justice	G. J. Tauro	1976 – 1989 (Mandatory retirement)	Michael Dukakis
—	Paul J. Liacos (1929–1999)	Associate Justice	E. Hennessey	1976 – June 20, 1986 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Ruth Abrams (1930–2019)	Associate Justice	P. Reardon	1978 – 2000 (Mandatory retirement)
	Joseph R. Nolan (1925–2013)	Associate Justice	F. Quirico	1981 – 1995 (Mandatory retirement)	Edward J. King
—	Neil L. Lynch (1930–2014)	Associate Justice	B. Kaplan	1981 – 2000 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Francis Patrick O'Connor (1927–2007)	Associate Justice	R. Braucher	1981 – 1997 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Paul J. Liacos (1929–1999)	Chief Justice	E. Hennessey	June 20, 1986 – September 30, 1996 (Resigned)	Michael Dukakis
—	John M. Greaney (1939–)	Associate Justice	P. Liacos	1989 – 2008 (Resigned)
	Charles Fried (1935–2024)	Associate Justice	J. Nolan	September 1995 – June 1999 (Resigned)	William Weld
	Margaret H. Marshall (1944–)	Associate Justice		1996 – October 14, 1999 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Herbert P. Wilkins (1930–)	Chief Justice	P. Liacos	1996 – October 13, 1999 (Resigned)
—	Roderick L. Ireland (1944–)	Associate Justice		1997 – December 20, 2010 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	Margaret H. Marshall (1944–)	Chief Justice	H. Wilkins	October 14, 1999 – October 31, 2010 (Resigned)	Paul Cellucci
—	Judith Cowin (1942–)	Associate Justice	C. Fried	1999 – 2011 (Resigned)
—	Francis X. Spina (1946–)	Associate Justice	M. Marshall	1999 – August 12, 2016 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Martha B. Sosman (1950–2007)	Associate Justice	N. Lynch	2000 – March 10, 2007 (Died)
—	Robert J. Cordy (1949–)	Associate Justice	R. Abrams	2001 – August 12, 2016 (Resigned)
	Margot Botsford (1947–)	Associate Justice	M. Sosman	September 4, 2007 – March 15, 2017 (Mandatory retirement)	Deval Patrick
	Ralph Gants (1954–2020)	Associate Justice	J. Greaney	January 29, 2009 – July 28, 2014 (Continued as Chief Justice)
—	Roderick L. Ireland (1944–)	Chief Justice	M. Marshall	December 20, 2010 – July 25, 2014 (Mandatory retirement)
	Barbara Lenk (1950–)	Associate Justice	J. Cowin	June 8, 2011 – December 1, 2020 (Mandatory retirement)
—	Fernande R.V. Duffly (1949–)	Associate Justice	R. Ireland	February 1, 2011 – July 12, 2016 (Resigned)
	Ralph Gants (1954–2020)	Chief Justice	R. Ireland	July 28, 2014 – September 14, 2020 (Died)
—	Geraldine Hines (1947–)	Associate Justice	R. Gants	July 31, 2014 – August 18, 2017 (Mandatory retirement)
	Frank Gaziano (1963–)	Associate Justice	F. Spina	August 18, 2016 – Incumbent	Charlie Baker
	Kimberly S. Budd (1966–)	Associate Justice	F. Duffly	August 24, 2016 – December 1, 2020 (Continued as Chief Justice)
	David A. Lowy (1959/60–)	Associate Justice	R. Cordy	August 24, 2016 – February 3, 2024 (Retired)
	Elspeth B. Cypher (1959–)	Associate Justice	M. Botsford	March 31, 2017 – January 12, 2024 (Retired)
	Scott Kafker (1959–)	Associate Justice	G. Hines	August 21, 2017 – Incumbent
	Kimberly S. Budd (1966–)	Chief Justice	R. Gants	December 1, 2020 – Incumbent
	Dalila Argaez Wendlandt (1968/69–)	Associate Justice	B. Lenk	December 4, 2020 – Incumbent
	Serge Georges Jr. (1969-70–)	Associate Justice	K. Budd	December 16, 2020 – Incumbent
—	Bessie Dewar (1980–)	Associate Justice	E. Cypher	January 16, 2024 – Incumbent	Maura Healey
—	Gabrielle Wolohojian (1960–)	Associate Justice	D. Lowy	April 22, 2024 – Incumbent

Further reading

• Whitmore, William Henry (1870). The Massachusetts Civil List for the Colonial and Provincial Periods, 1630-1774. J. Munsell.