What is Elena Kagan’s Net Worth and Salary?
Elena Kagan is an associate justice of the US Supreme Court since 2010. Prior to that, she taught at the University of Chicago Law School and Harvard Law School, served as Associate White House Counsel and policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, and was the first female solicitor general of the United States.
Although Kagan is part of the liberal wing, she is known as one of the more moderate justices on the Court.
As per her most recent financial disclosure, Kagan’s net worth is $1.8 million. Her disclosures from previous years have ranged from $815,000 to $2.1 million.
Elena Kagan’s Early Life and Education
Elena Kagan was born in Manhattan on April 28, 1960, to Jewish parents Robert and Gloria. She grew up with two brothers and attended Hunter College High School, where she was elected president of the student government. Kagan went on to earn her BA summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1981 and a Master of Philosophy in politics from the University of Oxford’s Worcester College in 1983. She then attended Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude with her JD in 1986.
Elena Kagan’s Career Path
After law school, Kagan worked as a law clerk for Judge Abner J. Mikva of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Justice Thurgood Marshall of the Supreme Court. She then worked as a junior associate at the law firm Williams & Connolly before transitioning to academia as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Law School. Kagan eventually became tenured in 1995.
During her time at the University of Chicago Law School, Kagan also served as a special counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, appointed by Senator Joe Biden.
Kagan’s Political Career
Elena Kagan served as Associate White House Counsel and Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy under President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1996. During her time in these positions, Kagan focused on issues such as campaign finance reform and budget appropriations.
In 1999, Clinton nominated Kagan to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, her nomination was ultimately unsuccessful as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Orrin Hatch failed to schedule a hearing.
Kagan’s Career in Academia
After her judicial nomination lapsed in 1999, Kagan returned to academia, first as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, her alma mater, before becoming a full professor in 2001. In 2003, Kagan was appointed dean of the Law School, where she oversaw a successful $476 million capital campaign and implemented student-centered reforms during her tenure, which lasted until 2009.
Elena Kagan’s Career as Solicitor General
In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Kagan to be solicitor general of the United States; upon her confirmation, she became the first-ever woman to hold the position. Her first appearance before the Supreme Court came that September in the re-argument of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Kagan urged the Court to uphold a 1990 precedent permitting the government to restrict corporations’ use of treasuries in political candidates’ campaigns.
Overall, Kagan argued six cases before the Supreme Court during her 15 months serving as solicitor general, helping to win four.
Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court Career
In 2010, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. She was confirmed in 2010 and, as part of the Court’s liberal wing, she voted with the liberal contingent in several high-profile cases, including King v. Burwell and Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. However, many have noted that she leans more centrist, aligning her with Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer.
During her first term on the Supreme Court, Kagan did not write any separate opinions. Instead, she authored dissents or majority opinions assigned to her by senior justices. From 2011 to 2014, she wrote the fewest opinions of anyone on the Court. Despite this, Kagan has been praised for her conversational writing style, which often employs colorful and accessible analogies and examples. For example, she referenced Spider-Man multiple times in her majority opinion in Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC.
Elena Kagan’s Personal Life
Elena Kagan has never been married and is known to be genial, warm, and outgoing. She enjoys socializing with her colleagues and spending time with friends and acquaintances from law school and the Clinton White House. Kagan has been seen at the opera with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, had dinner with Sonia Sotomayor, and went hunting with Antonin Scalia.
