Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an American attorney and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He was nominated to the court in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, and sworn in on February 18, 1988. After the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor in 2006, he was considered the swing vote on many of the Roberts Court's 5–4 decisions.
Official portrait, c. 2005
President Reagan and Kennedy meeting in the Oval Office on November 11, 1987
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869.
Clarence Thomas, since October 23, 1991
Samuel Alito, since January 31, 2006
Sonia Sotomayor, since August 8, 2009
Elena Kagan, since August 7, 2010