The Swedish Supreme Court ('Högsta domstolen') has existed since 1789 and in 1909 it was joined by the Supreme Administrative Court ('Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen'). The function and role of the high courts in Swedish society have indisputably varied over time, but the nature and extent of those shifts are underexplored. The paper seeks to describe the high courts' role over time by studying the professional background of appointed Justices. We argue that the background of those who are selected to serve reflect the prevailing understanding of the proper functioning of the high courts. To achieve this, we cluster all 453 Swedish Justices (1789-2021) based on professional background into six types and study their distribution over time, as well as measure professional diversity. We conclude that the high courts have become more 1 A few Justices without a formal law degree have served on the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court. See also below fn. 76.