Neil Gorsuch

Neil Gorsuch
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Name	Neil Gorsuch
Birth date	August 29, 1967
Birth place	Denver, Colorado
Alma mater	Columbia University, Harvard Law School, University of Oxford

Neil Gorsuch is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2017. He is a native of Colorado and graduated from Columbia University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Harvard Law School, where he was a Truman Scholar. Gorsuch also attended University of Oxford, where he earned a D.Phil. in Jurisprudence from Oxford University. Before joining the Supreme Court of the United States, he served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, appointed by George W. Bush.

● Early Life and Education

Gorsuch was born in Denver, Colorado, to David Gorsuch, a EPA administrator, and Anne Gorsuch Burford, a Colorado state senator. He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Maryland, where he was a member of the National Honor Society. Gorsuch then attended Columbia University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in History and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He also attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude and was a Truman Scholar, and later attended University of Oxford, where he earned a D.Phil. in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, supervised by John Finnis and Joseph Raz. During his time at Harvard Law School, Gorsuch was a classmate of Barack Obama and worked with Laurence Tribe on a research project.

● Career

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Gorsuch clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and later for Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States. He then worked as a Justice Department lawyer, serving as the Principal Deputy to the Associate Attorney General under Associate Attorney General Robert McCallum. In 2006, Gorsuch was appointed by George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, where he served alongside judges such as Michael W. McConnell and Tim Tymkovich. During his time on the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch developed a reputation as a textualist and an originalist, often citing the work of Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork in his opinions.

● Judicial Philosophy

Gorsuch's judicial philosophy is often described as originalism, which emphasizes the importance of interpreting the United States Constitution as it was originally intended by the Founding Fathers. He has also been influenced by the work of Antonin Scalia, who was a leading proponent of textualism, and has cited the opinions of Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in his own decisions. Gorsuch has written extensively on the topic of judicial restraint, arguing that judges should exercise caution when interpreting the law and avoid imposing their own personal views on the Constitution. His approach to administrative law has been influenced by the work of Christopher DeMuth and Peter Wallison, and he has cited the opinions of Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in his own decisions.

● Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation

On January 31, 2017, Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia. The nomination was supported by Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley, but opposed by Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Gorsuch faced questions about his views on abortion, gun control, and executive power, and was grilled by Senators such as Al Franken and Elizabeth Warren. On April 7, 2017, the United States Senate confirmed Gorsuch's nomination by a vote of 54-45, with Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting in favor of his confirmation.

● Supreme Court Tenure

Since joining the Supreme Court of the United States, Gorsuch has written opinions in a number of high-profile cases, including Trump v. Hawaii and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. He has also joined opinions written by Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, and has dissented from opinions written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer. In the 2019 term, Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in Department of Commerce v. New York, which held that the United States Census Bureau could not include a citizenship question on the 2020 United States Census. He has also been a key vote in cases such as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of New York.

● Notable Opinions and Decisions

Some of Gorsuch's most notable opinions include his concurrence in Hernandez v. Mesa, which addressed the issue of cross-border shootings and the Fourth Amendment, and his dissent in Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado, which addressed the issue of racial bias in jury deliberations. He has also written opinions in cases such as Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis and Janus v. AFSCME, which addressed the issues of arbitration and public sector union fees. In addition, Gorsuch has joined opinions written by fellow justices, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and has dissented from opinions written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. His opinions have been cited by judges such as Judge Jeffrey Sutton and Judge Diane Sykes, and have been influential in shaping the development of federal law.