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John Marshall Harlan

John Marshall Harlan

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States · 1877

John Marshall Harlan , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. John Marshall Harlan was an American lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1877 until his death in 1911. He is often called "The Great Dissenter" due to his many dissents in cases that restricted civil liberties, including the Civil Rights Cases, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Giles v. Harris.

Positions

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States1877-11-29–1911-10-14

Education

Transylvania University Law Department
Centre CollegeB.A., 1850
Read law1853

Career

Private practice, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1853-1861; City attorney, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1854-1858; Judge, Franklin County [Kentucky] Court, 1858; Private practice, Louisville, Kentucky, 1861, 1867-1877; U.S. Army colonel, 10th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1863; Attorney general, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 1863-1867; Member, commission to settle the dispute over Louisiana legislative elections, 1877

Biography

John Marshall Harlan was an American lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1877 until his death in 1911. He is often called "The Great Dissenter" due to his many dissents in cases that restricted civil liberties, including the Civil Rights Cases, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Giles v. Harris.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.

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Capitol Receipts, “John Marshall Harlan : Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/j977/john-marshall-harlan (accessed 2026-10-13).