The recently released annual financial disclosures for eight U.S. Supreme Court justices have laid bare a variety of intriguing details about their external engagements and financial activities in 2025. Among the revelations, Justice Sonia Sotomayor was noted for receiving concert tickets worth over $4,000 from Rimas Entertainment, the record label behind Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. These tickets facilitated her attendance at a concert during a personal trip to Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported the receipt of a painting valued at $2,500 from artists Paul Branton and Kristen Williams.
The disclosures also highlighted the justices’ supplementary income activities primarily through teaching at various institutions. Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Brett Kavanaugh both earned over $33,000 from teaching roles at Notre Dame Law School, with Barrett conducting workshops in London. Justice Neil Gorsuch taught in Prague, indicating a growing trend of international teaching engagements among justices, while Chief Justice John Roberts contributed to New England Law School.
Royalties continued to represent significant income streams for some justices. Justice Jackson maintained her stance as the foremost recipient of book royalties, securing more than $1 million, followed by Barrett with nearly $850,000 in earnings from her publication, Listening to the Law. Equally, Gorsuch and Sotomayor reported substantial earnings from their respective literary ventures.
The forms also detailed travel expenses reimbursed for international and domestic trips, highlighting the justices’ presence in global conferences and forums. Justice Elena Kagan’s moot court event in the United States, Jackson’s awarded visit to Dublin, and Sotomayor’s award reception in the Dominican Republic illustrate the global professional engagements of the justices.
Despite providing an extensive view of justices’ external engagements, these financial disclosures serve primarily to shed light on potential conflicts of interest rather than offering a comprehensive analysis of their financial states. The form for Justice Samuel Alito remains pending as he was granted an extension, indicative of the time allowances sometimes extended to judiciary members for this process.