Justices Barrett, Jackson report big bucks from book sales in 2025
Book deals regularly eclipse Supreme Court justices' $300,000 government salaries.
WASHINGTON − Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett made nearly $850,000 last year for her best-selling book about the law, making her the latest member of the high court to eclipse her government salary with a book deal.
In addition to income from 2025, which she disclosed as part of a routine report on June 29, Barrett reported receiving $425,000 as an advance for the same memoir, "Listening to the Law," in 2021. That puts her in the club of four other millionaire authors on the bench – Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas.
Barrett also made just over $33,000 as an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Law, her alma mater. With an associate justice's government salary of $303,600 in 2025, she would have made about $1.2 million that year.
All of the justices were due to file their annual financial disclosure reports June 29, listing assets and outside income from 2025. Justice Samuel Alito received a 90-day extension to file his annual report, something he does most years.
Book deals, teaching gigs
Even with Barrett's successful book, Jackson reported the highest outside income of any justice last year, $1.2 million in book royalties. Her book, "Lovely One," was published in 2024. A young adult adaptation of her book came out in January.
Barrett and Jackson each reported the most extensive travel of court justices promoting their books in 2025. Barrett reported reimbursements for nine events on her book tour, and Jackson reported 15.
Gorsuch made $300,000 in royalties from two companies. He has written multiple books and is coauthor of a children's book published in May, "Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence." Sotomayor, who has published several children's books, made $88,000 in royalties.
Alito has a book coming out in October − "So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country" − he has described as a collection of his speeches. Income from that book won't be disclosed until 2027.
Most of the justices reported income from side jobs teaching at law schools. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also taught at Notre Dame ($33,000); Gorsuch taught a class in Prague for George Mason University ($30,000); Chief Justice John Roberts taught at New England Law in Boston ($25,000); and Thomas taught at at Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law ($18,000).
Sharp-eyed court watchers also noticed that Sotomayor listed $4,333 in gifted concert tickets from Rimas Entertainment. That's the Puerto Rican record label that represents rapper Bad Bunny. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and Puerto Rican person to serve on the Supreme Court.
Read the Supreme Court's latest financial disclosures
- Amy Coney Barrett: Link
- Neil Gorsuch: Link
- Ketanji Brown Jackson: Link
- Elena Kagan: Link
- Brett Kavanaugh: Link
- Anthony Kennedy (retired): Link
- John Roberts: Link
- Sonia Sotomayor: Link
- Clarence Thomas: Link
What are the Supreme Court justices worth?
The Supreme Court justices are worth more than their government salaries − which in 2025 were $317,500 for the chief justice and $303,600 for the eight associate justices. In addition to their side income, they may have wealth from their law careers.
The official disclosures also do not include the value of their primary homes or pensions. Forbes estimates their net worths as of 2025 were:
- John Roberts: $25 million
- Samuel Alito: $10 million
- Neil Gorsuch: $8 million
- Sonia Sotomayor: $5 million
- Amy Coney Barrett: $2 million
- Brett Kavanaugh: $2 million
- Elena Kagan: $1 million to $2 million
- Clarence Thomas: $1 million to $2 million
- Ketanji Brown Jackson: $1 million to $2 million