Financial disclosure reports released on Monday show that eight of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices reported outside income, gifts and investment transactions for 2025, with four justices together receiving more than $2 million in book-related payments during the year.
The filings, required of certain senior government officials, detail sizable book advances and royalties, teaching stipends at law schools, and a small entertainment-related gift provided during a private trip to Puerto Rico. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito received a 90-day extension to file his report and was not among the eight who submitted filings on time.
Among the largest disclosures, liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported a $1.18 million book advance from Penguin Random House tied to her memoir "Lovely One," which was published in 2024. The filing notes that this amount is in addition to nearly $2.07 million in book advance income she reported receiving from Penguin in 2024.
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor disclosed $88,100 in royalties from Penguin for her childrens books "Turning Pages" and "Just Ask!" The disclosure indicates those royalty figures are net of her literary agent's commission. Sotomayors filing also states that Penguin advised her it spent $7,473 to support the sale of her title "Just Shine!"
Sotomayor further reported receiving concert tickets valued at $4,333 from the record company Rimas Entertainment. Her form states the company "provided tickets for a concert for me and guests while I was on a private trip to Puerto Rico in August 2025." The disclosure did not identify the concert. The roster of performers represented by that Puerto Rican record label includes the artist Bad Bunny, who at the time of the trip was performing an extended concert series in San Juan. The Supreme Court and Rimas were not reported to have provided immediate comment on Monday.
Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who published a book titled "Listening to the Law" in 2025, reported $849,071 in book royalties from Javelin Group, a literary agency. Barrett and conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh each reported receiving $33,285 in teaching income from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where both serve as adjunct professors.
Chief Justice John Roberts disclosed a $25,000 payment from New England Law, a private Boston-based law school. Roberts had previously reported teaching a two-week course in Galway, Ireland in July 2024 for New England Law, but said his compensation for that course was not reported at that time because he received payment in February 2025.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas reported $18,000 in teaching income from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch reported $30,380 in teaching income from George Mason University, and also disclosed $361,000 in book royalty income, mostly from HarperCollins. HarperCollins published a childrens book he co-wrote titled "Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence."
The filings add to public information about the justices outside earnings amid heightened interest in recent years in how the courts members report gifts, trips and financial activities. That attention increased after revelations that some justices had earlier failed to disclose certain luxury trips, including private jet flights and yacht travel, or certain real estate transactions, according to the forms and public commentary surrounding them.
Summary
Eight of nine Supreme Court justices filed financial disclosures for 2025 showing substantial book advances and royalties, university teaching payments and a reported gift of concert tickets. One justice received an extension to file. The documents highlight prominent publishers and law schools as sources of outside income.
Key points
- Four justices collectively received more than $2 million in book-related payments in 2025, reflecting significant income from publishing deals - sectors affected include book publishing and related media distribution.
- Multiple justices reported modest-to-significant teaching stipends from law schools, including payments from Notre Dame Law, New England Law, George Mason University and Catholic University of America - this touches higher education and professional legal education markets.
- A gift of concert tickets valued at $4,333 from Rimas Entertainment was disclosed by one justice in connection with a private trip to Puerto Rico - the entertainment and music labeling sector is indirectly referenced.
Risks and uncertainties
- Ongoing public scrutiny of justices disclosures could prompt calls for tighter reporting standards; the legal sector and government ethics oversight mechanisms are implicated by such scrutiny.
- The timing of payments can affect what appears on a given years disclosure, as illustrated by Chief Justice Roberts February 2025 payment for a July 2024 course, creating potential reporting ambiguities that impact transparency assessments.
- One justice was granted a filing extension, leaving a gap in the public record until that report is submitted and adding short-term uncertainty about the full scope of outside income among the justices.
Disclosure: