What Happened to Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.?
Samuel Alito is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, known for his conservative judicial philosophy and influential majority opinions, including the landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. As of April 2026, he remains an active justice, having recently been the subject of retirement speculation and a brief health incident.
Quick Answer
Samuel Alito continues to serve as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, a position he has held since 2006. He is a prominent conservative voice on the court, notably authoring the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. In early 2026, he celebrated 20 years on the bench, published a forthcoming book, and experienced a brief health scare in March, amidst ongoing speculation about his potential retirement.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline15 events
Born in Trenton, New Jersey
Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents.
Graduated Yale Law School
Alito earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Appointed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
President George H.W. Bush nominated Alito to the Third Circuit, where he served until his Supreme Court appointment.
Dissent in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (Third Circuit)
As a Third Circuit judge, Alito dissented, arguing to uphold a spousal notification requirement for abortion, foreshadowing his later views.
Nominated to Supreme Court
President George W. Bush nominated Alito to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Confirmed and Sworn in as Associate Justice
The Senate confirmed Alito by a 58-42 vote, and he was sworn in as the 110th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Authored Majority Opinion in McDonald v. City of Chicago
Alito wrote the majority opinion holding that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies to state and local governments.
Authored Majority Opinion in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby
He wrote the majority opinion ruling that closely held for-profit corporations could claim religious exemptions from the ACA's contraception mandate.
Authored Majority Opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
Alito penned the majority opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.
Secret Recordings Controversy
Alito was secretly recorded by a filmmaker agreeing with conservative assertions about the moral argument, sparking ethics concerns.
Controversy over Clerk Recommendation to Trump
Reports surfaced that Alito had recommended a former law clerk for a White House job to then President-elect Donald Trump.
Temporarily Restores Texas Congressional Map
Justice Alito granted Texas's request to pause a lower court ruling that would have required using an older congressional map, amidst a racial gerrymandering challenge.
Solo Concurrence in Malliotakis v. Williams
Alito issued a solo concurring opinion that suggested a narrow interpretation of the Voting Rights Act's application to vote dilution.
Brief Health Incident
Alito was taken to a hospital for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia, returning home the same night.
Forthcoming Book Release
Alito is scheduled to release his first book, 'So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country,' a date that has fueled retirement speculation.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. was born on April 1, 1950, in Trenton, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1972 and earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1975. After clerking for a federal appeals judge, Alito served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and later as the U.S. Attorney for the district, appointed by President Ronald Reagan. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where he served for 16 years.
Alito's judicial philosophy is often described as 'practical originalism,' placing him firmly within the Supreme Court's conservative bloc. His tenure on the Third Circuit foreshadowed his conservative leanings, notably dissenting in a 1991 case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, where he argued to uphold a spousal notification requirement for abortion. He was nominated to the Supreme Court by President George W. Bush on October 31, 2005, to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and was confirmed by the Senate on January 31, 2006, by a 58-42 vote.
Throughout his time on the Supreme Court, Justice Alito has authored several significant majority opinions that have shaped American law. These include McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), which incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms against the states; Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014), which granted closely held for-profit corporations religious exemptions from the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate; and Janus v. AFSCME (2018), which held that public-sector unions cannot compel non-members to pay agency fees. His most impactful opinion to date is Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion and returning regulatory authority to individual states.
In recent years, Alito has faced various controversies, including a June 2024 incident where a filmmaker secretly recorded him agreeing with assertions about Christians needing to win 'the moral argument.' In January 2025, reports emerged that he had recommended a former law clerk for a White House job to then President-elect Donald Trump, raising ethics questions. As of late 2025, Alito continued to be an active justice, for instance, temporarily restoring Texas's new congressional map in November 2025 amidst a racial gerrymandering challenge.
Entering 2026, Justice Alito marked his 20th anniversary on the Supreme Court on January 31. He is scheduled to release his first book, 'So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country,' on October 6, 2026, a date that has fueled speculation about his potential retirement. On March 2, 2026, he issued a solo concurring opinion in Malliotakis v. Williams, suggesting a potential future narrowing of the Voting Rights Act. Most recently, on March 20, 2026, Alito was taken to a hospital for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia, though he returned home that night and has since appeared healthy during oral arguments. He turned 76 on April 1, 2026, and remains a pivotal figure on the ideologically conservative Supreme Court.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. made different choices?