

The rest of the Justices sit in order of seniority alternating from left to right, with the most junior Associate Justice on the far right, if you were to view the bench from the audience. The Chief Justice sits in the center of the bench, with two senior Associate Justices at his side. This tradition matches in part the protocol used for where Justices sit on the actual bench in the courtroom. In the current Supreme Court protocol, the Justices alternate left and right based on seniority, with the Chief Justice in the center of the photograph, says our Supreme Court correspondent Lyle Denniston, who has covered the Court since 1958. Here’s a look at 10 iconic Court photos and explanation of where the Justices are situated. On Thursday, the Supreme Court posed for a new group photo, continuing a tradition dating back to the Civil War.
