Raising questions about the influence of money and outside interests on America’s highest court, liberal Supreme Court justices are earning millions from book deals.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson leads the pack with nearly $3 million in book advance payments, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor has amassed almost $4 million from her literary ventures.
The Supreme Court released annual financial disclosures, showing Justice Jackson received a staggering $2.07 million book advance from Penguin Random House for her memoir “Lovely One” in 2024, after collecting $894,000 the previous year.
This brings her total book compensation to nearly $3 million, making her one of the Court’s most highly-paid authors.
Meanwhile, conservative Justice Samuel Alito requested a 90-day extension on filing his disclosure, a move that will likely be criticized by the same media that has largely celebrated Jackson’s windfall.
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor continues to lead all current justices in book-related income, having accumulated nearly $4 million over her tenure.
For 2024, she reported approximately $134,000 in book royalties plus a $60,000 advance from Penguin Random House.
This evident contrast between the liberal justices’ publishing deals with left-leaning publishers and the more modest arrangements of conservative justices raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.
This is especially considering that book deals have previously led to recusals in court cases involving publishers.
Conservative justices have received considerably less lucrative publishing deals.
Justice Neil Gorsuch disclosed a $250,000 advance from HarperCollins for his book Over Ruled, which he co-authored with Janie Nitze.
At the same time, Justice Amy Coney Barrett is set to release “Listening to the Law” with a $425,000 advance.
These figures pale in comparison to the millions received by their liberal counterparts.
This underscores what many conservatives see as the publishing industry’s political bias in rewarding left-leaning judicial voices with outsized compensation packages.
While Justice Clarence Thomas has faced relentless media scrutiny over past undisclosed luxury travel, he reported no outside income, gifts, or travel reimbursements for 2024.
The contrast is striking – Thomas faces constant criticism while Jackson’s multimillion-dollar publishing deal receives mostly positive coverage.
The disclosures also reveal that most justices earn a salary of $303,600, with Chief Justice Roberts earning $317,500.
Financial disclosure forms for Supreme Court justices show their income for books, teaching and speaking engagements, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson who reported a $2 million advance payment for her memoir “Lovely One.” https://t.co/SpL67XKrJW
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 17, 2025
Thus, book deals provide particularly significant additional income for those who receive them.
The disclosures also highlight the justices’ teaching activities.
Justices Barrett and Kavanaugh each earned over $30,000 from teaching at Notre Dame Law School, while Justice Gorsuch received $30,379.91 for teaching at George Mason University during a stint in Porto, Portugal.
Chief Justice Roberts taught a class on the Supreme Court in Galway, Ireland, for New England Law School.
Seven justices reported travel reimbursements, with Jackson receiving the most for her book tour, further adding to her financial windfall from the memoir.
These financial disclosures come amid increased calls for transparency at the Supreme Court.
Conservative justices bear the brunt of media scrutiny while liberal justices quietly amass fortunes from book deals with predominantly left-leaning publishing houses.
The disparate treatment raises serious questions about the Court’s impartiality, especially when cases involving major publishers like Penguin Random House might appear before the same justices who have received millions from them.
Patriots concerned about judicial integrity should demand equal scrutiny for all justices, regardless of their ideological leanings.
