Judge Neil McGill Gorsuch
Neil McGill Gorsuch is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since April 10, 2017. He was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. He is a prominent conservative jurist known for his strict adherence to textualism and originalism, as well as a distinct literary style in his written opinions.
Personal Background:
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- Born: August 29, 1967, in Denver, Colorado.
- Education: Earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from Oxford University.
- Clerkships: Clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and concurrently for Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy.
Legal and Judicial Career:
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- Private Practice & DOJ: Worked as a partner at a private law firm and later served as Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Appellate Court: Appointed by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, serving from 2006 until his Supreme Court appointment in 2017.
Judicial Philosophy and Notable Stances:
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- Textualism and Originalism: Interprets legal texts according to their ordinary meaning at the time of enactment, a philosophy that led him to author the landmark Bostock v. Clayton County opinion protecting LGBTQ+ employees from workplace discrimination.
- Administrative State: A leading critic of federal agency power, he consistently voted to limit regulatory overreach, culminating in his majority-aligned votes to overturn Chevron deference.
- Native American Rights: Maintains a unique judicial record for a conservative justice by frequently ruling in favor of tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, most notably authoring the majority opinion in McGirt v. Oklahoma.
