In the wake of the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last week, there is a lot of tension surrounding what will happen with a future judge, while the current judges have been pushed aside. In politics, the limelight shines on people such as the president, the First Lady, the cabinet, and some outspoken members of Congress. However, the governing body that often gets overlooked is the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). It is unfortunate that SCOTUS is not praised for all of the important decisions it makes for America’s well-being. To be frank, the Supreme Court Justices are viewed as boring, old, monotonous, and plain as vanilla. However, our seven justices and one chief justice have pretty intriguing backstories and traits that will make you love them.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

John G. Roberts Jr. -- sounds like a famous baseball player or something, but he went to Harvard Law school to make metaphorical home runs in the law. Roberts is the youngest chief justice since John Marshall in 1801. But that is not the most interesting fact about Roberts.

1. Blind date turned into true love. John met his wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, on a blind date. True love speaks bounds and this proves that you can find love in any way.
2. A hard worker. While in high school, he worked at a steel mill to be able to pay for his tuition at Harvard. A true showing that hard work pays off and that he knows what it’s like to work for money rather than simply inherit it like many political figures have.
3. A singing, dramatic jock, Roberts is a a multifaceted man. In high school, he was a stellar football player (and captain), he was in choir, he was a wrestler, and he was actively involved in the drama club. He played the role of Peppermint Pattie in a "Charlie Brown" play. He’s the epitome of a jock with a soft side who is not afraid to break the status quo.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

Anthony Kennedywas born in Sacramento, California’s capital, and because he lived in Sacramento, he has been surrounded by the political sphere and legal system for a long time. While Kennedy lives a regularly normal life -- aside from the fact that he is a Supreme Court justice -- there are some intriguing quirks about him:

1. Goody two-shoes. Anthony’s father facetiously calls the justice a “goody goody,” especially in his childhood where he would do exactly what he was told. His father even claimed that he would give Anthony $100 if he would do something to get himself in trouble with the police. But, Anthony stuck to his ways and remains a level-headed man.
2. A Europe adventure. One summer during college Anthony traveled around Europe in a red Volkswagen Bug, which may have prompted him to go to the London School of Economics. Before going on the road trip Anthony’s father gave him a bottle of whiskey, but akin to his “goody two-shoes” self, Anthony only used it to gargle in his throat when he felt a sore throat coming.
3. A legacy. His wife, Mary Davis, a Sacramento native attended Stanford University alongside Kennedy and they later had three children. All three children followed in the footsteps of their parents and attended Stanford. Talk about a legacy!

Clarence Thomas.

Clarence Thomas has some serious restraint when it comes to expressing his opinions. Thomas is renowned for his seven-year silence where he didn’t speak from the bench. Don't let his silence fool you, he is a very opinionated judge with some odd hobbies.

1. Names and faces. Clarence doesn’t talk much as a judge but he obviously is a “chatty Cathy” because he knows the names of all of the janitors and cafeteria workers in the Supreme Court building. Clarence cares about the staff that is instrumental in the upkeep of the building. That’s pretty remarkable in my opinion.
2. Trailer park boy. Thomas and his wife, Ginni, have been known to travel in a 40-foot “bus” a.k.a an R.V. He has been repeatedly seen parking his R.V. in Walmart parking lots. In his own words, “We have been in dozens of Walmart parking lots throughout the country, actually it’s one of our favorite things to do...you can get a little shopping in, see part of the real America. It’s fun!” So, yeah, an interesting hobby.
3. He’s different, he promises. Since Justice Scalia’s death, Clarence has been flooded with questions about Scalia because they have been known to have very similar views. But Clarence refutes, “he [Scalia] loves killing unarmed animals. I don’t. He loves opera. I prefer blues or jazz. We’re different. I am a Cornhuskers fan. I don’t think he even watches sports.”

Stephen Breyer.

Pragmatism, optimism, and cooperation. Just a few words to describe Justice Breyer and his reputation in the SCOTUS. Breyer is a true San Franciscan and was exposed to law early due to his father and mothers’ involvement in legal aspects of education and public service. As with anyone born and bred in San Francisco, Breyer has a pretty cool life.

1. A handful of hobbies. Breyer has a variety of hobbies that he spends his free time with. Stephen loves to cook and looks up to Julia Child, he loves to bike, and birdwatch! What a cool dude.
2. One tough cookie. Speaking of his hobby of bicycling, he actually got in a very serious bike accident in 1993where he got hit by a car and broke his ribs and punctured his lung. That didn’t stop him because he left the hospital to talk to President Clinton. He also got in bike accidents in 2011and 2013. Not to mention he is 74 years old. Just sayin’.
3. Breyer v. Brown. In high school, Stephen was a dedicated member of the debate team. In fact, during a debate tournament, Stephen competed against current California Governor Jerry Brown. His high school debate coach said, "You can spot the potential lawyers early... He would do copious research on a debate topic while other kids were out, you know, doing things like stealing hubcaps." I guess this means that if you want to be in politics, join the debate team.

Samuel Alito has a number of nicknames among the legal and news community. “Strip Search Sammy” and “Scalita.” Strip search Sammy derives from his dissent opinion of Doe v. Grady where he approved strip searches. “Scalita” refers to Alito’s almost exact similarities to Justice Scalia (in terms of political views). Besides his nicknames, Alito has an impressive background.

1. Club connoisseur. Samuel wasn’t afraid of joining clubs in high school. He was actively involved in over 10 clubs including debate team, honor society, and band. Alito was also part of the track team and was president of the Student Council.
2. Philly phanatic. Alito is a huge fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. So much so that his wife sent him to a fantasy Phillies baseball camp where he learned to play second base with professionals.
3. Bold justice blend. A coffee shop, T.M. Ward Coffee near Newark, N.J. named a coffee blend after the justice. It is called “Judge Alito’s Bold Justice Blend." Apparently his friends surprised him with the news of his own coffee; Alito often stops by and gets a cup. If you want to try the blend, you can buy it here.

Sonia Sotomayor.

As the first justice of Hispanic heritage, the third female justice, and 12th Roman Catholic judge, Sotomayor brings an interesting dynamic to the court. But what got her there in the first place is what is most inspiring.

1. A tumultuous childhood. Sotomayor was born in the Bronx and her parents were both born in Puerto Rico -- her mother was also an orphan. Her father was a factory worker who didn’t speak English, he was an alcoholic and died when Sonia was nine of a heart attack. Sonia was mostly raised by her mother and grandmother. Sonia was diagnosed with type I diabetes when she was eight and has since injected herself with insulin.
2. Salsa Sonia. Sonia never misses a beat when it comes to salsa dancing. Originally, Sonia was not a very good dancer but when she gets in the right mood, she can bust the moves. After the end of her first term as justice, she celebrated by breaking out in dance and calling out to other lawmakers to join her.
3. Nancy Drew. Never underestimate the power of a kids novel. Sotomayor read the "Nancy Drew" mystery book series and was inspired. Sonia looked up to Nancy Drew as her first female role model. Nancy Drew inspired Sotomayor to explore a career of investigation and law.

Elena Kagan.

Elena Kagan is the fourth female justice and was appointed by Barack Obama in 2010. Kagan was 50 years old when appointed and thus is the youngest current Supreme Court justice and the only justice who hasn’t had previous judicial experience.

1. Dream come true. From a young age, Elena was surrounded by law because her father was an attorney at the law practice Kagan & Lubic. An old high school friend said Kagan’s teenage dream was to be a Supreme Court justice. Her dream became reality.
2. Philosophy. While Sonia attended Princeton and Yale, she expanded her horizons and studied abroad at Oxford University. While there, she majored in philosophy along with her B.A. and Juris Doctor degree.
3. Frozen yogurt, please! Elena has a little bit of a sweet tooth. Her sweet tooth was not satisfied while being in the Supreme Court building. Kagan had a major role in bringing a frozen yogurt machine to the court. Treat yo’ self.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ruth Bader “Badass” Ginsburg, also known as Notorious R.B.G. is a total boss. She has a big fan base on reddit and the Internet with a lot of hilarious memes. She was the second female justice following Sandra Day O'Connor and she is a big advocate for women's rights, especially because she grew up in an era when women were viewed as “less than” men. But what makes RBG a total baller?

1. A jack of all trades. Since her early years, Ruth has always tried different hobbies and tested her skills in different things. In high school, she was a baton twirler, a cheerleader, newspaper editor, cello player, and a member of the pep squad and honor society. Since then, she has taken up golfing, acting in operas, and water skiing.
2. Ruthless Ruth. To say that R.B.G. is brave is a huge understatement. In 1999, Ruth was diagnosed with colon cancer and went through chemotherapy and radiation and beat cancer. Unfortunately, Ruth was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2009. Ruth underwent surgery to remove her tumor and was released eight days later to then turn around and attend a hearing four days later. She has beaten cancer twice and has never missed one day on the bench. She kicked cancer’s butt!
3. A bodybuilder? No, R.B.G. doesn’t have time for that but she is incredibly fit. The Notorious R.B.G workout is a popular fact that Irin Carmon, an MSNBC reporter fact checked with Ruth to see if the workout was factual. Yes, Ruth can easily do 20 push-ups (in a row). She also enjoys water-skiing and whitewater rafting. Not to mention she is 82-YEARS-OLD!

See? Supreme Court justices aren’t boring. In fact, I may have to get one of these Notorious R.B.G. shirts for myself!