Justice Thomas says farmwork helped shape his views on precedents
In a recent interview with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (here speaking in Texas in April 2026) said farmwork helped shape his views on precedents. (Photo by Eric Gay/The Associated Press)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has said working on a farm as a child has informed his views on legal precedents.
During a recent appearance on the podcast of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Thomas, who was raised by his grandparents in rural Georgia, said farmwork guided his approach to precedents during his 35 years on the high court, according to coverage by Bloomberg Law.
At 78 years old, Thomas is the Supreme Court’s most senior and most conservative member. He has urged the Supreme Court to reconsider prior decisions, possibly more than any other modern justice, according to Bloomberg Law.
Thomas said his grandfather’s instruction on properly plowing a field influenced his thinking.
“What if that first row is crooked?” Thomas asked. “Do you keep going, pretending that it’s straight? Or do you go back and make it straight?”
Bloomberg Law has more coverage of the interview.
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