Supreme Court justices’ publicly filed financial disclosures show a stark divide: outside teaching income is capped at about $30,000, while book deals can run far higher—down to $300,361 in royalties and up to $1.18 million in a single advance.
On the surface, a Supreme Court justice’s pay can look surprisingly modest—especially when you compare it to the earnings potential of writing. But the financial disclosures filed by justices show how quickly those numbers can swing once a courtroom job turns into a publisher’s contract.
Many justices earn thousands of dollars through university teaching jobs, but there is a cap on outside pay of around $30,000. In 2024. Justice Neil Gorsuch was paid $30. 379 for a two-week course in Portugal through George Mason University. according to his financial disclosure report. In the 2025 financial disclosures—released on June 29, 2026—Gorsuch reported $30,380 in 2025 teaching income from the university.
The teaching checks are smaller for other justices as well. Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh each reported earning $33. 285 from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2025. while Justice Thomas reported $18. 000 from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 2025.
The biggest money, though, can come from writing. There is no cap on what justices can earn through books, and the disclosures reflect that imbalance.
In her 2025 financial disclosures. Justice Jackson reported a $1.18 million book advance from Penguin Random House. which published her 2024 memoir. “Lovely One.” In 2024. she separately reported almost $2.07 million in book advance income from Penguin. according to the reporting cited in the materials.
Barrett’s disclosure shows another pathway to large earnings: she reported $849,071 in book royalties from the literary agency Javelin Group, which handled the royalties for her 2025 book, “Listening to the Law.”
Gorsuch’s figures underline how far royalties can reach in the absence of any outside cap. In the most recent disclosures, he reported $300,361 in book royalties.
Taken together. the numbers draw a clear picture of where the money is concentrated: teaching income stays near the roughly $30. 000 ceiling. while book advances and royalties can climb into the hundreds of thousands—or. in Jackson’s case. into the $1 million-plus range in a single advance. The contrast is stark in the disclosures themselves, with each figure anchored to a specific year and specific income stream.
Supreme Court justices financial disclosures Neil Gorsuch Amy Coney Barrett Brett Kavanaugh Jackson book royalties Penguin Random House Javelin Group George Mason University University of Notre Dame Law School Catholic University of America Portugal course
So basically they get paid more to write books than to… do court stuff?
I don’t get why the teaching is capped like that but the book deals aren’t. Sounds like a loophole setup. Also $30k for 2 weeks in Portugal?? That’s wild.
Wait, are you saying Justice Gorsuch got $300k in royalties AND also got teaching money? Like, isn’t royalty income the same as teaching pay? Idk the difference, but it just seems like everyone’s getting rich off the Court name. Meanwhile regular professors are barely surviving.
Not surprised. Supreme Court people always end up as authors and then it’s millions. I saw something about Jackson’s memoir advance being like $1.18 million and I’m like… for what, reading opinions? And then teaching pay being capped at $30k makes it seem like they’re forcing them to monetize the book part instead.