Alito and Roberts take stock as they near their third decade on the bench

As Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito approach their two-decade milestones on the Supreme Court, they appear to be taking personal stock.

As Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito approach their two-decade milestones on the Supreme Court, they appear to be taking personal stock. Twice in the past two weeks, Roberts, 70, has mused before audiences about retirement. The 75-year-old Alito wrote wistfully about Justice David Souter’s early retirement choice. “I was happy that he was able to spend the last 16 years of his life in the surroundings he cherished living the kind of private life he preferred,” Alito said as the court announced the May 8 death of Souter, who left the bench in 2009 at the relatively young (for a justice) age of 69. Roberts, at a Georgetown University Law Center appearance, recalled the 2009 day that Souter told him he was going to retire. Souter told Roberts he wanted to return to his native New Hampshire, to trade, as Roberts put it, “white marble for White Mountains.” An avid reader, Souter also sought a more contemplative life. “There aren’t many people who would have that kind of perspective,” Roberts said, “including myself.”