Vice President-elect Mike Pence will be sworn in by Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas at Friday’s inauguration ceremony.

Mr. Thomas is a conservative stalwart on the bench and the second African-American man ever to serve on the nation’s highest court.

While the chief justice of the United States usually administers the oath of office to the incoming president — as Chief Justice John Roberts will on Friday — the vice president can choose any number of officials to conduct the ceremony.

Recent vice presidents have usually picked a different member of the Court, but the oath has also been administered by members of Congress, inferior judges and outgoing vice presidents.

Vice President Biden chose Supreme Court Associate Justices John Paul Stevens and Sonia Sotomayor to administer the oath of office in 2009 and 2013, respectively.

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