Justice Clarence Thomas has reached a significant milestone, becoming the second-longest serving justice in the Supreme Court 's history, at a time when his influence on American jurisprudence appears more profound than ever.

Once considered an outlier, Justice Thomas has, over the past decade, cemented his position as a towering figure within the conservative legal movement.

His tenure has been instrumental in securing landmark rulings concerning abortion, voting rights, and the Second Amendment . Only liberal Justice William O. Douglas served longer, a record Thomas could surpass by 2028 should he remain on the bench, with no indications of his imminent retirement.

John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former clerk for Thomas, observed: "I think he’s more energized and excited now than when I first met him."

Thomas’s confirmation in 1991 was marked by contentious hearings involving sexual harassment allegations, and more recently, his acceptance of luxury trips has…