Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who has served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991. Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court, after Thurgood Marshall, whom he succeeded.

Thomas grew up in Georgia (Georgia (U.S. state)) and was educated at the College of the Holy Cross and at Yale Law School. In 1974, he was appointed an Assistant Attorney General (Missouri Attorney General) in Missouri and subsequently practiced law there in the private sector. In 1979, he became a legislative assistant to Missouri Senator (United States Senator) John Danforth and in 1981 was appointed Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and he served in that position until 1990, when President George H. W. Bush nominated him for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

After one year of service on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Bush nominated Thomas to fill the seat on the United States Supreme Court being vacated by Thurgood Marshall. Thomass confirmation hearings (Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination) were bitter and intensely fought, centering on an accusation that he had made unwelcome sexual comments to attorney Anita Hill, a subordinate at the Department of Education and subsequently at the EEOC. The U.S. Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas by a vote of 52–48.

Since joining the Court, Thomas has taken a textualist approach to judging, seeking to uphold what he sees as the original meaning of the United States Constitution and statutes. He is generally viewed as among the most conservative (conservatism in the United States) members of the Court. Thomas has often approached federalism issues in a way that limits the power of the federal government (federal government of the United States) and expands power of state (U.S. state) and local (Local government in the United States) governments. At the same time, Thomass opinions have generally supported a strong executive branch (Federal government of the United States#Executive branch) within the federal government.