Abraham "Abe" Fortas was an American Supreme Court associate justice, the first nominee for the post of chief justice since 1795 who failed to win Senate approval. He was a noted civil libertarian, who served only four years in the Supreme Court before a series of charges led to his resignation. He became the first Supreme Court justice to resign under threat of impeachment. When President Lyndon Johnson nominated him for the post of chief justice of Supreme Court, his professional relationship with Johnson came under scrutiny and he faced hostile questioning from the U.S. Senate. During a Congressional hearing on his nomination, he was intensely grilled by conservative legislators and eventually his name was withdrawn. He also faced some other allegations which stirred controversy and examined his reputation of being the associate justice of Supreme Court. Despite all the accusations, he is considered an extraordinarily intelligent person with a great deal of understanding about politics. He was also the co-founder of one of Washington's most influential law firms of its time which is currently placed among the largest law firms in the world. He could be aptly described as a complex and wise man, a great attorney who also happened to be a brilliant and able judge.