We often get asked, why term limits for the Supreme Court?

Term limits would ensure that an unseemly amount of power would not remain in the hands of the same few individuals for decades on end. It’s a popular reform with liberals and conservative alike. And it’s a policy that every other court of last of resort the world over has implemented — that or a mandatory retirement age.

Then we’re asked, how would term limits work in practice? Let’s do an experiment.

Let’s assume that the current justices are exempt from any new term limits law and that they, like Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, will serve until around age 75. Given the health issues of half the current court, and the increasing pressure to retire when a like-minded president sits in the Oval Office, we believe that’s fair.

Let’s also assume there are no retirements in presidential election years, and let’s begin the calculations this year.

End of 2022: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson (9 justices)

2023: Term limits law passes, add Justice A: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A (10 justices)

2025: Thomas retires (34-year term), add Justice B: Roberts, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B (10 justices)

2027: Alito retires (21-year term), add Justice C: Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C (10 justices)

2029: Sotomayor retires (20-year term), add Justice D: Roberts, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D (10 justices)

2030: Roberts retires (25-year term) (9 justices)

2031: Add Justice E: Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D, E (10 justices)

2033: Add Justice F: Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D, E, F (11 justices)

2035: Kagan retires (25-year term), add Justice G: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D, E, F, G (11 justices)

2037: Add Justice H: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H (12 justices)

2039: Add Justice I: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I (13 justices)

2041: Justice A retires (18 years after appointment), Kavanaugh retires (23-year term), add Justice J: Gorsuch, Barrett, Jackson, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J (12 justices)

2042: Gorsuch retires (25-year term) (11 justices)

2043: Justice B retires, add Justice K: Barrett, Jackson, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K (11 justices)

2045: Jackson retires (23-year term), Justice C retires, add Justice L: Barrett, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L (10 justices)

2047: Barrett retires (27-year term), Justice D retires, add Justice M: E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M (9 justices becomes permanent)