We often get asked, how would term limits work?
First, pass a statute that adds a new justice to the court every two years, so that each prospective member of the high court would only serve 18 years.
But how would that work in practice, you ask? Here’s how:
Let’s assume that the terms of the current nine are not covered by the new term limits law and that they’ll serve on average for 27 years. Let’s also assume there are no retirements in presidential election years, and let’s begin the calculations this year.
2020: Roberts, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh (9 justices)
2021:Â Term limits law passes, Ginsburg retires, add Justice A: Roberts, Thomas, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A (9 justices)
2023: Breyer retires, add Justice B: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B (9 justices)
2025: Add Justice C: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C (10 justices)
2027: Thomas retires, add Justice D: Roberts, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D (10 justices)
2029: Add Justice E: Roberts, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D, E (11 justices)
2030: Alito retires (10 justices)
2031: Add Justice F: Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D, E, F (11 justices)
2033: Roberts retires, add Justice G: Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D, E, F, G (11 justices)
2035: Sotomayor retires, add Justice H: Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H (11 justices)
2037: Add Justice I: Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I (12 justices)
2038: Kagan retires (11 justices)
2039: Justice A retires (18 years after appointment), add Justice J: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J (11 justices)
2041: Justice B retires, add Justice K: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K (11 justices)
2042: Gorsuch retires (10 justices)
2043: Justice C retires, add justice L: Kavanaugh, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L (10 justices)
2045: Justice D retires, Kavanaugh retires, add Justice M: E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M (9 justices becomes permanent)