Many important results were known to hinge on the 2017 presidential election. One of these was the appointment of a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. This was to fill a vacant position on the all-important court left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Today, Donald Trump is the president and the choice of the nomination was thus placed in his hands. On January 31, 2017, the president officially announced his nomination for the Supreme Court Justice of the United States. That nominee was Neil Gorsuch.
As all elements even remotely related to this election have been, this nomination has also been the source of contention. In fact, even before his nomination was known, there were members of the government advertising staunch opposition to whomever the future candidate may be. No matter which side of neutrality you may find yourself leaning towards, however, it is important to know the facts first. In that exact spirit of facts always placing first, here are five notable facts about this nominee that may help to illustrate who he is exactly to the average person.
From a Law-Practicing Family
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and such carrying on of family tradition is exactly what Gorsuch has done. Gorsuch’s father, David Gorsuch was a prominent lawyer. His mother, Anne Gorsuch was also quite accomplished as an attorney and politician. She was also the first female Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Then President Ronald Reagan later went on to nominate Anne Gorsuch to the Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmospehere, although she respectfully turned the opportunity down.
Similar To Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia was known as a hardline conservative and a staunch advocate for constitutional basis in all law. During the elections, then presidential nominee Trump had, in fact, promised to replace Scalia’s vacated seat with someone largely of his likeness. In the words of US News writer, Joseph Williams, “vowing to replace Scalia with an ideological twin.”
As it turned out, this would be a true projection. Gorsuch is much like Scalia in his views. Gorsuch is very much pro-life, pro-second amendment, and overall pro constitutional approach in his rulings. For more history on his past decisions and stance, the Washington Post has a list of key rulings here.
Worked on Two Books
As well as a seasoned judge, Neil Gorsuch worked on two books, one of which he authored primarily on his own. The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia is his primary work – a deep and critically acclaimed analysis of euthanasia as well as one of the most expertly crafted arguments against the use of these medical approaches.
The other book Gorsuch worked on was one in which he shared his expertise in conjunction with 13 other experts. The Law of Judicial Precedent is the book that Gorsuch co-authored. In it, he and other experts weighed the importance and effects of judicial precedent in American law.
Extensive Education
It’s already a given that in order to be a tenured judge, and eventually one that is nominated to the Supreme Court, one must have an excellent educational background. Gorsuch is certainly no exception in this area of accolades. These begin with his graduation with honors from the Georgetown Preparatory School where he acted as President of the Organization of American States.
From here, Gorsuch attended Columbia University where he earned a bachelor’s degree and helped manage the campus newspaper. Next, he earned a J.D at Harvard. After this, he went on to attend Oxford University and earn a Doctorate of Legal Philosophy. This does not include his various awards in scholarships and other areas of academia.
Originally Supported by Democrats
Now the target of democrat disapproval, Gorsuch was once a shoe-in by many of those same democrats at the time of his appointment to the appellate court in 2006 by President Bush. Chuck Schumer, Patrick Leahy, and others were vocally supportive of this appointee a decade ago.
Now, a Trump appointee of the Supreme Court, those same supportive parties have taken on different tones. Cited reasoning for newly opposing sentiments are those of opposition to Gorsuch’s conservative views. Proponents of Gorsuch note the absence of any shortcomings or indiscretions with regard to all of his procedural time on the bench.
As of now, Neil Gorsuch is the nominee to the current opening in the US Supreme Court. Should he be approved via the process, he will then be the next ruling justice on that all-important court. The above, five facts about Neil Gorsuch are meant to shine some light on who exactly this nominee is.
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