Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
chief justice (n.)
The official title of this officer is the “Chief Justice of the United States,” but you may also see and hear “Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court,” or the “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America.” In Semiformal and Informal contexts, however, and in speech as well, the reference is often simply to the Chief Justice, although context must also make clear whether it is of a state or the nation.
