Fresh financial disclosure reports released by the U.S. Supreme Court have shed light on the substantial earnings and gifts received by several justices during 2025, with book advances, royalties, teaching assignments and other benefits featuring prominently in the annual filings.
Eight of the court’s nine justices submitted their mandatory financial disclosures, while Justice Samuel Alito received a 90-day extension to file his report.
Among the largest earners was Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who disclosed receiving a $1.18 million advance from Penguin Random House for her memoir Lovely One. The payment follows an earlier disclosure showing more than $2 million in book advance income related to the same publication during the previous reporting period.
Jackson also reported receiving a painting valued at $2,500 from Chicago artists Paul Branton and Kristen Williams. The artwork, titled Worthy, has been placed in her Supreme Court chambers.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor listed $88,100 in royalties from her children’s books Turning Pages and Just Ask!. According to the filing, the reported amount reflects earnings after her literary agent’s commission, while the publisher also incurred promotional expenses to support one of her books.
Sotomayor further disclosed receiving concert tickets worth $4,333 from Puerto Rico-based music company Rimas Entertainment during a private visit to the island in August 2025. The filing did not identify the specific performance attended, although the label represents several major artists, including global music star Bad Bunny, who held an extended concert residency in San Juan during that period.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett reported $849,071 in book royalty income linked to her publication Listening to the Law. Barrett also earned $33,285 for teaching at the University of Notre Dame Law School, the same amount reported by fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh for his academic role at the institution.
Chief Justice John Roberts disclosed receiving $25,000 for teaching work associated with New England Law. The payment related to a course conducted in Ireland during 2024, with compensation issued in early 2025.
Justice Clarence Thomas reported $18,000 in teaching income from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.
Justice Neil Gorsuch disclosed two significant sources of outside income: $30,380 for teaching at George Mason University and $300,361 in book royalties, primarily from HarperCollins. The publisher recently released Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, a children’s book co-authored by Gorsuch.
The annual disclosure reports outline outside income, gifts and certain financial transactions involving members of the nation’s highest court. Public scrutiny of these filings has intensified in recent years following questions over previously undisclosed luxury travel and real estate dealings involving some justices, prompting greater attention to ethics and transparency at the Supreme Court.
