Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: reported the highest book income: **$1.18 million** in advances from Penguin Random House in 2025, on top of $2.07 million in 2024. She also received a $2,500 painting for her chambers from Chicago artists Paul Branton and Kristen Williams.\n\n- **Justice Sonia Sotomayor** received **$88,100 in royalties** from Penguin for her children's books and disclosed **$4,333 worth of concert tickets** from Rimas Entertainment — Bad Bunny's record label — for a private trip to Puerto Rico in August 2025.\n\n- **Justice Amy Coney Barrett** earned **$849,071 in book royalties** from Javelin Group for her book *"Listening to the Law"* and **$33,285** teaching at Notre Dame Law School.\n\n- **Justice Neil Gorsuch** reported **$361,000 in book royalties** (mostly from HarperCollins) and **$30,380 in teaching income** from George Mason University.\n\n- **Justice Brett Kavanaugh** earned **$33,285** teaching at Notre Dame Law School alongside Barrett.\n\n- **Chief Justice John Roberts** was paid **$25,000** by New England Law for teaching a course in Galway, Ireland.\n\n- **Justice Clarence Thomas** reported **$18,000** from Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.\n\n**Why this matters:** These disclosures offer the public a rare glimpse into the justices' financial interests outside the court. Following revelations in prior years that some justices failed to report luxury travel and gifts, these filings are now closely scrutinized for potential conflicts of interest and ethical compliance.
For the second consecutive year, book advances and royalties dominated the justices' outside income. In 2024, Justice Jackson set a record with approximately $2 million in book advances, and in 2025 she remained in the top position with another $1.18 million from Penguin Random House. Her memoir *"Lovely One"* was published in September 2024.
Justice Barrett entered the publishing arena with her book *"Listening to the Law"* (September 2025), earning nearly $850,000 in royalties. Justice Gorsuch continued his publishing streak with income from HarperCollins for *"Over Ruled"* and a children's book titled *"Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence."*
Five justices reported teaching income in 2025, with many traveling internationally for their academic roles:
Barrett and Kavanaugh: each earned $33,285 from Notre Dame Law School. Barrett taught a "legal theory workshop" in London in October 2025.
Gorsuch: taught in Prague for George Mason University, earning $30,380.
Chief Justice Roberts: taught a two-week course in Galway, Ireland, for New England Law ($25,000).
Thomas: taught at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. ($18,000).
Only two justices reported gifts this year:
Sotomayor's concert tickets: from Rimas Entertainment were valued at $4,333. While she did not name the performer, Bad Bunny performed 31 sold-out shows in San Juan between July and September 2025, and a September 2025 story noted Sotomayor attended one of his concerts.
Jackson's $2,500 painting: titled "Worthy" was gifted by Chicago artists Paul Branton and Kristen Williams.
Several justices also reported reimbursed travel: Justice Elena Kagan traveled to Pepperdine University for a moot court; Barrett attended a judicial forum in Oxford, England; Jackson received an award from Trinity College in Dublin; and Sotomayor accepted an award from the World Jurist Association in the Dominican Republic.
Justice Samuel Alito, who also received an extension last year, has until September to file his disclosure. His filings were not available at the time of publication.
Why are Supreme Court justices required to file financial disclosures?\nA: Federal ethics laws require senior government officials, including Supreme Court justices, to disclose outside income, gifts, reimbursements, and investments annually to identify potential conflicts of interest.\n\nQ: How much did Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson earn from book deals in total?\nA: Justice Jackson reported $1.18 million in book advances in 2025, on top of approximately $2.07 million in 2024, for her memoir *"Lovely One."*\n\nQ: Did Justice Sotomayor actually attend a Bad Bunny concert?\nA: While her disclosure did not name the artist, reports confirm she attended one of Bad Bunny's 31 sold-out shows in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August 2025, with tickets valued at $4,333 provided by Rimas Entertainment.\n\nQ: Which justices did not report teaching income?\nA: Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson did not report teaching salaries, though both engaged in academic events including moot court judging and award ceremonies.\n\nQ: When will Justice Alito's disclosure be available?**\nA: Justice Alito received a 90-day extension, meaning his disclosure is expected by mid-September 2026.
Transparency matters:: These disclosures are a reminder that even the highest court in the land must comply with ethics rules — and increased public scrutiny is driving greater accountability.\n\n- **Book deals are a major income source:** Justices are increasingly earning significant sums from publishing, which raises ongoing questions about how these financial ties interact with their judicial duties.\n\n- **Who this affects most:** Anyone following government ethics, judicial independence, or the Supreme Court's public trust should pay attention to these filings.\n\n- **How to stay informed:** The public can access these disclosures through the Judicial Conference's Financial Disclosure Reports database. They are released annually in late spring/early summer.
The justices' financial disclosures provide a rare window into the private earnings of the nation's highest court. With book advances in the millions and gift disclosures making headlines, the conversation about ethics and transparency at the Supreme Court is far from over.
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