Chief Justice John Roberts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Harvard

Roberts later attended Harvard Law School and graduated with a J.D. in law. While attending Harvard, Roberts worked on the "Harvard Law Review". After Harvard, Roberts clerked for Judge Henry Friendly.

Answer: William Rehnquist

Roberts clerked for Rehnquist when the latter was an Associate Justice, not Chief Justice. It is actually quite common for Supreme Court Justices to have clerked for previous justices, as it is a good launch pad for a legal career with high-profile law firms and appointments to federal courts. Law clerks perform a number of duties, most notably legal research and helping to draft opinions.

Answer: Romer v. Evans

Romer v. Evans involved a Colorado ballot measure, which passed, that forbid establishing a protected status for gays and lesbians. Roberts worked with the plaintiffs and helped with oral arguments, although he did not argue the case in front of the Supreme Court. Roberts was on the winning side as the Supreme Court struck down the law as violation of the 14th Amendment. Roberts' former boss, Justice Rehnquist, dissented.

His work on this case is somewhat ironic as Roberts sided against expanding gay rights a couple times since being appointment to the Court, most notably in Windsor v. United States, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage. Roberts also worked pro bono defending death row inmates; also ironic, since Roberts has routinely upheld the death penalty and refused to hear appeals involving death sentences.

Answer: His nomination expired without a vote

1992 was a presidential election year and it is tradition for the Senate not to confirm many judges in an election year, especially as the election nears. Bush nominated Roberts, but Bush lost the election to the more liberal Bill Clinton. Roberts' nomination expired when the new Congress was sworn in and he was not nominated by Bill Clinton.

Answer: False

Roberts argued 39 cases before the Court and won 25, according to PBS. Some of the cases Roberts argued were Rice v. Cayetano (which he won for Hawaii governor Ben Cayetano) and Smith v. Doe (which he won, successfully defending Alaska's sex offender registry.)

Answer: Advisor to Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Roberts was not on the Supreme Court in 2000. He did, however, assist Florida Governor Jeb Bush, brother to George, how to handle the recount in his state and which options were available. Interestingly, Roberts' role here did not come during his Senate confirmation hearings.

Answer: Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement, citing her husband's ill health. She had, according to people who knew her, wanted to step down for some time but wouldn't under a Democratic president. Bush nominated Roberts as her replacement. However, Chief Justice William Rehnquist died soon after O'Connor's announcement and Bush nominated him to for the Chief Justice position.

Answer: Abortion

Roberts was vague when he was asked about Roe v. Wade. He said it was an established precedent, although the Court was not bound to it. He refused to answer how he would rule if presented with the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Answer: Controlled Substances Act

The O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao do Vegetal, a branch of a Brazilian church, regularly use a hallucinogenic tea in their rituals. The tea, which was banned under the Controlled Substances Act, had been seized by U.S. Customs agents. Roberts and the rest of the Court agreed that the church members should be exempt from the Controlled Substances Act, citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Answer: The individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act

Roberts wrote the majority opinion that stated that the individual mandate, which required Americans to purchase health insurance, was constitutional as a tax. Most commentators believed Justice Anthony Kennedy would be the swing vote and were not expecting the 5-4 decision in favor of the law to be written by Roberts.