Supreme Court Justices’ 2024 Financial Disclosures Reveal Book Deals, Travel Perks, and Ethical Undercurrents
In an era where judicial transparency is under growing public scrutiny, the annual financial disclosures of U.S. Supreme Court justices offer a rare glimpse behind the robes. The 2024 reports, made public on June 11 by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, shine a spotlight on the justices’ income streams, from blockbuster book deals and academic engagements to international travel reimbursements and, in some cases, a striking lack of disclosure altogether.
Topping this year’s headlines is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, whose memoir “Lovely One” soared as a New York Times bestseller and earned her a staggering $2 million advance from Penguin Random House. But she’s not alone—fellow justices also continue to monetize their public service through publishing, teaching, and appearances, raising questions about judicial ethics, conflicts of interest, and the line between professional and personal benefit.
Let’s break down the highlights—and red flags—embedded in the 2024 disclosures.
📚 Jackson’s Literary Windfall: A Historic $2M Book Advance
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson emerged as the clear financial frontrunner in 2024. Her memoir, Lovely One, chronicling her rise to become the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, not only captured hearts but also landed a $2,002,000 advance from Penguin Random House. This is by far the largest single income disclosure among the justices this year—and one of the most substantial literary deals ever secured by a sitting member of the Court.
While such arrangements are legal and commonplace, they do raise ongoing concerns about potential bias or influence, particularly when justices receive large sums from corporate entities that may eventually appear before the Court in litigation.
🖋️ Book Royalties and Publishing Gigs Among Other Justices
Justice Jackson was not alone in leveraging her public stature for literary gain. Two other justices also reported significant publishing income:
- Justice Neil Gorsuch earned $250,000 from HarperCollins for Over Ruled, co-authored with his former clerk Janie Nitze.
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor received nearly $134,000 in royalties and advances from Penguin Random House, continuing her long-standing relationship with the publisher through children’s books and memoirs.
🎓 Teaching Abroad and Stateside: Justices Go Back to Class
In addition to writing, several justices spent time teaching law:
- Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh served as adjunct professors at Notre Dame Law School, each receiving $31,815—the maximum allowable amount for outside income from teaching under judicial ethics rules.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch taught a two-week course in Porto, Portugal, with George Mason University, earning $30,379.91.
- Chief Justice John Roberts joined New England Law School’s international program to teach a class in Galway, Ireland.
These teaching engagements, while enriching and allowable, underscore the blurred line between judicial duties and side opportunities, especially when tied to travel or reimbursement from institutions that could one day bring cases to the Court.
🌍 Travel, Appearances, and Speaking Engagements
Beyond classrooms, justices took to the skies:
- Justice Barrett reported travel-related reimbursements from Pepperdine University for a lecture in Malibu.
- Justice Jackson was reimbursed for delivering the commencement address at Spelman College, a historically Black women’s institution in Atlanta.
- Justice Sotomayor had the busiest travel schedule, disclosing multiple reimbursements—including international travel to Panama City and domestic visits like a judicial investiture in St. Paul, Minnesota.
While these travel reimbursements are legally disclosed and relatively minor in monetary terms, they reflect the high visibility and extracurricular engagement of current justices.
🚨 Silence from Justice Clarence Thomas: No Travel, No Gifts, No Income
Perhaps most notable in this year’s filings was the absence of disclosures from Justice Clarence Thomas, a figure already under significant scrutiny. After a 2023 exposé by ProPublica revealed undisclosed luxury trips, private jets, and lavish gifts from billionaire Harlan Crow, the Court has faced mounting calls for ethics reform.
In stark contrast to his peers, Justice Thomas reported zero travel reimbursements, zero non-investment income, and zero gifts in 2024—an omission many see as strategic rather than circumstantial.
Also missing from the public disclosures was Justice Samuel Alito’s form, delayed due to an extension. Alito too has faced criticism over past gifts and travel funded by conservative donors.
⚖️ Ethics Reform on the Horizon?
The increasing financial activity and visibility of Supreme Court justices have amplified calls for a binding Code of Ethics. Currently, the justices voluntarily comply with disclosure rules, unlike their counterparts in the lower federal courts.
While book deals, teaching roles, and speaking engagements are not inherently unethical, they draw public scrutiny when transparency is inconsistent or when they intersect with potential legal conflicts.
Congressional Democrats and judicial watchdogs argue that the public has a right to know whether justices are benefiting from relationships that could influence their impartiality.
🧩 Takeaway for Legal Professionals
For attorneys, scholars, and law students, the disclosures offer a valuable reminder that even the most powerful jurists are subject to financial and ethical boundaries—however loosely enforced. As debates over judicial ethics continue, understanding how justices earn, disclose, and defend their external income is critical to shaping future policy and accountability.
Whether these figures influence how the Court is perceived—or prompt actual reform—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: transparency at the highest levels of justice matters now more than ever.
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