Private practice, New York City, 1768-1774
Delegate, Continental Congress, 1774-1778
Chief justice, Supreme Court of Judicature of New York, 1777-1778
President, Second Continental Congress, 1778-1779
U.S. minister plenipotentiary to Spain, 1779-1782
Negotiator of Treaty of Paris with Great Britain, 1782-1783
Secretary of foreign affairs under Articles of Confederation, 1784-1790
Negotiator of Jay Treaty with Great Britain, 1794-1795
Governor, New York, 1795-1801
Nominated to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, December 18, 1800; confirmed, December 19, 1800; declined appointment
Allotment as Circuit Justice:
Eastern Circuit, Spring 1790-Spring 1792
Middle Circuit, Spring 1793, Spring 1794