John Roberts was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 27th, 1955, and was raised in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, where his father, John Roberts, Sr., was a plant manager for Bethlehem Steel, and his mother, Rosemary (née Podrasky),was the granddaughter of immigrants from Czechoslovakia.
After graduating first in his class from La Lumiere, a small Catholic boarding school, Roberts attended Harvard College for three years, graduating summa cum laude in 1976. Three years later, he received his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he was manager editing of the Harvard Law Review, graduating magna cum laude.
Following his graduation, Roberts clerked on the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals for the legendary judge Henry Friendly, and the following year, he scored a clerkship with William Rehnquist, who at the time was Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
From 1981 to 1982, Roberts worked in the U.S. Department of Justice during the beginning of President Ronald Reagan's first term, and then transferred to the White House Counsel's office, where he served until 1986. He later joined the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson, specializing in appellate work for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Roberts was known for his thorough preparation for Supreme Court appearances, often doing three Moot Court run-throughs to anticipate and prepare for questions. He was also known for making razor-sharp and nearly perfect legal briefs, earning an annual salary of over $1 million.
In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Roberts for a position on the U.S. District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, but his nomination languished for two years due to Democratic control of the U.S. Senate. However, in the 2002 Congressional elections, Republicans regained control of the U.S. Senate, and Roberts was quickly re-nominated and confirmed.
On the court, Roberts was known for his willingness to critique even minor errors in attorneys' briefs - even when he agreed with the point of view presented.
In 2005, Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court, and President Bush chose Roberts to be her successor. However, Chief Justice William Rehnquist died of cancer shortly after, and Bush nominated Roberts to be Chief Justice, withdrawing his nomination for Associate Justice, which he eventually nominated Samuel Alito for.
The confirmation hearings for Roberts as Chief Justice were not especially contentious, as his views were believed to be similar to Rehnquist's and because he was so well-regarded in the legal community. Democrats still pressed Roberts as to what kind of Chief Justice he would be, and he claimed that he would be like an umpire at a game, making judgments only on the basis of the rules.
Roberts was confirmed by a vote of 78 to 22 and is also listed as a member of the "Federalist Society," a conservative law society. He is married and has two adopted children.
