Brett Kavanaugh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brett Kavanaugh
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Assumed office October 6, 2018 |
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| Nominated by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Anthony Kennedy |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office May 30, 2006 – October 6, 2018 |
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| Nominated by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Laurence Silberman |
| Succeeded by | Neomi Rao |
| White House Staff Secretary | |
| In office June 6, 2003 – May 30, 2006 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Harriet Miers |
| Succeeded by | Raul Yanes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Brett Michael Kavanaugh
February 12, 1965 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Ashley Estes
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Yale University (BA, JD) |
| Signature |  |
Brett Michael Kavanaugh (born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and judge. He serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President Donald Trump nominated him on July 9, 2018. He has been a justice since October 6, 2018. Before this, he was a U.S. circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2006 to 2018.
Kavanaugh studied history at Yale University. He then went to Yale Law School. After law school, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Ken Starr. Later, he helped Starr with investigations involving President Bill Clinton. He also helped write the Starr Report. He joined the Bush administration as White House staff secretary. He helped find and confirm judges.
President Bush nominated Kavanaugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2003. His confirmation hearings were difficult and took three years. He was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit in May 2006.
President Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 9, 2018. This was to fill the spot left by Justice Anthony Kennedy. During his confirmation process, Christine Blasey Ford made accusations about his past behavior. Other women also made similar claims. Kavanaugh denied all the accusations. The Senate Judiciary Committee held an extra hearing about these claims. On October 6, 2018, the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh by a vote of 50–48.
Since 2020, Kavanaugh has been seen as a swing vote on the Court. In June 2022, there was a plot to harm him. The suspect wanted to stop rulings in cases like Dobbs.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Brett Kavanaugh was born in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 1965. His mother, Martha, was a history teacher. She later became a judge in Maryland. His father, Everett, was a lawyer.
Kavanaugh grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. As a teenager, he went to Georgetown Preparatory School. This is a Jesuit school for boys. He was good at sports there. He was the captain of the basketball team and played football.
After high school in 1983, Kavanaugh went to Yale University. He played on the junior varsity basketball team. He also wrote articles about sports for the Yale Daily News. In 1987, he earned a degree in history from Yale.
He then attended Yale Law School. He was a member of the Yale Law Journal. He graduated from Yale Law School with a law degree in 1990.
Legal Career (1990–2006)
Kavanaugh started his legal career as a law clerk. He worked for Judge Ken Starr. When Starr became the head of the Office of Independent Counsel, Kavanaugh helped him. He assisted with investigations involving President Bill Clinton.
After the 2000 presidential election, Kavanaugh worked for George W. Bush's campaign. He then joined the Bush administration. He became the White House staff secretary. In this role, he helped find and approve people for judge positions.
In 2003, President Bush nominated Kavanaugh to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. His approval process was difficult and took three years. Some people thought he was too focused on one political party. In May 2006, he was finally approved for the position.
U.S. Circuit Judge (2006–2018)
President George W. Bush nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2003. However, his approval was delayed in the Senate for almost three years. Some senators believed he was too partisan.
The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended his approval in May 2006. The full Senate then voted to confirm him on May 26, 2006. He was sworn in on June 1. He was the fourth judge President Bush nominated to this court to be confirmed.
During his time as a circuit judge, Kavanaugh wrote many opinions. These opinions covered various legal areas.
Nomination to the Supreme Court
On July 2, 2018, President Donald Trump interviewed Kavanaugh. On July 9, Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh said that no president had talked to more people about a Supreme Court nomination.
Legal Ideas and Approach
Experts have studied Kavanaugh's legal views. One analysis suggested he was more conservative than Neil Gorsuch. He has a strong view of presidential powers. .....
During his hearing, Kavanaugh said that Brown v. Board of Education was the greatest moment in Supreme Court history. This case ended segregation in schools.
Senate Hearings
The Senate Judiciary Committee held public hearings on Kavanaugh's nomination. These began on September 4, 2018. The hearings were delayed because senators wanted to see more documents from Kavanaugh's time in the Bush administration.
During the hearings, Kavanaugh did not share opinions on matters that might come before the Court. He would not promise to step aside from any case, including those involving President Trump. He also did not comment on healthcare, gun rights, or Roe v. Wade. He talked a lot about the Constitution and legal precedents. There were often protests from the audience during the hearings.
On September 27, the committee held an extra hearing. This was to discuss allegations of past inappropriate behavior. Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who made an accusation, testified. Ford repeated her claims. Kavanaugh denied them. He said the accusations were a "political hit." Another person Ford said was present denied remembering the event.
Allegations of Misconduct
In July 2018, Christine Blasey Ford contacted a newspaper and a U.S. Representative. She accused Kavanaugh of inappropriate behavior when they were in high school. She later shared her story publicly. She said that in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend had cornered her at a party. She claimed Kavanaugh tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth. She said she was scared.
Kavanaugh denied the allegation. He said, "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time." Republicans criticized the timing of the accusation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee invited Kavanaugh and Ford to testify. Kavanaugh agreed. Ford asked for an FBI investigation first. The committee chairman declined this request at first. Ford later agreed to testify.
Ford said that Leland Ingham Keyser, a friend, was at the party. Keyser later said she did not remember the party or the alleged event. She also said she felt pressured to support Ford's story.
On October 4, 2018, the White House said the FBI found no proof for Ford's allegation. Ford's attorneys said the FBI investigation was not interested in finding the truth.
Other Allegations
Other women also made allegations against Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez, who went to Yale with Kavanaugh, made a claim about an event at a college party. Kavanaugh denied this. The New Yorker spoke to classmates, but none saw the event.
Julie Swetnick also made claims through her attorney. She described attending parties where she saw inappropriate behavior. Kavanaugh called her allegations "ridiculous." .....
Another person, Judy Munro-Leighton, sent an anonymous letter with an accusation. She later changed her story. She said she made the accusation to "get attention." She was referred to the Justice Department for making false accusations.
FBI Investigation and Ethics
After the hearings, the Senate committee voted to advance Kavanaugh's nomination. Senator Jeff Flake asked for a week-long FBI investigation into Ford's claims. President Trump ordered a "supplemental investigation." The FBI report was given to the Senate on October 4. The Judiciary Committee said it found "no corroboration of the allegations." Democrats said the FBI investigation was incomplete.
Many ethics complaints were filed against Kavanaugh. A special panel of judges investigated them. In December 2018, the panel dismissed the complaints. They said lower court judges could not investigate Supreme Court justices.
Senate Vote
On October 5, the Senate voted 51–49 to move forward with the nomination. This vote was mostly along party lines.
On October 6, the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by a 50–48 vote. This was a very close vote in history. All Republicans except two voted to confirm him. All Democrats except one voted against him.
Swearing-in Ceremony
Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th justice of the Supreme Court on the evening of October 6, 2018. Chief Justice Roberts gave him the Constitutional Oath. Justice Kennedy, whom Kavanaugh replaced, gave him the Judicial Oath. A public ceremony was held at the White House on October 8. Kavanaugh was the first Supreme Court justice to hire an all-female team of law clerks.
U.S. Supreme Court (2018–present)
Kavanaugh began his work as a Supreme Court justice on October 9, 2018. He heard arguments for his first cases.
Circuit Assignments
In November 2020, Kavanaugh was assigned to the Sixth Circuit and the Eighth Circuit. Before this, he was assigned to the Seventh Circuit. Justices are responsible for emergency requests from their assigned circuits.
Early Decisions
Kavanaugh wrote his first Supreme Court opinion on January 8, 2019. This was for the case Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc.. The Court made a unanimous decision in this case.
In February 2019, Kavanaugh joined the majority in a case about the Sixth Amendment. This amendment deals with the right to a lawyer.
Cases on Reproductive Rights
In December 2018, Kavanaugh joined other justices to decline hearing cases from Louisiana and Kansas.
..... He wrote a separate opinion. In June 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Kavanaugh joined the majority. .....
Cases on Serious Punishments
In February 2019, Kavanaugh was part of the majority in decisions about the death penalty. He was part of a 5–4 decision that rejected a prisoner's request to delay his execution. He also joined a 6–3 decision that blocked the execution of a man with an "intellectual disability." In 2023, Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion in Reed v. Goertz. This ruling allowed a death row inmate to seek DNA testing.
Cases on LGBT Rights
In June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, the Supreme Court ruled that job protections in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 cover people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion. He argued that any changes to the law should be made by Congress, not judges.
In 2021, Kavanaugh joined the majority in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. This case was about a Catholic adoption agency that did not place children with same-sex couples. The Court ruled in favor of the agency.
Cases on Presidential Records
In July 2020, in Trump v. Vance, the Supreme Court ruled that the Manhattan district attorney could access Trump's tax records. Kavanaugh joined the majority in this 7–2 decision.
Cases on Voting Rights
Before the 2020 United States presidential election, Kavanaugh agreed that absentee votes received after Election Day in Wisconsin should not be counted. He also voted to grant a request that would have stopped ballots sent before Election Day but delivered later from being counted.
Compensation for College Athletes
In June 2021, in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston, the Court ruled that college sports were not exempt from antitrust law. Kavanaugh wrote that the NCAA was a "massive money-raising enterprise" that did not fairly pay student athletes.
Threat to Safety
In June 2022, Nicholas John Roske traveled to Kavanaugh's home. He planned to harm Kavanaugh. Roske turned himself in. He said his plan was because of the Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Roske was charged with attempted murder.
Teaching and Writing
Kavanaugh taught courses at Harvard Law School from 2008 to 2018. He also taught at Yale Law School and Georgetown University Law Center. He was known for being helpful to students. In 2019, he stopped teaching at Harvard after allegations of misconduct were made. He later joined the faculty at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School.
In 2009, Kavanaugh wrote an article for the Minnesota Law Review. He argued that presidents should be protected from civil lawsuits while in office. He said such lawsuits could distract the president from important duties. This article gained attention when he was nominated to the Supreme Court.
Personal Life
Kavanaugh married Ashley Estes in 2004. She was a personal secretary to former President George W. Bush. They have two daughters. They live in Chevy Chase Section Five, Maryland.
Kavanaugh has run the Boston Marathon and many shorter races.
He is a Roman Catholic. He serves as a lector at his church. He has also helped serve meals to the homeless and tutored at a Catholic school.
In 2006, he stated that he was a registered Republican. In 2018, his salary was $220,600 as a federal judge and $27,000 as a lecturer.
..... These followed the leak of a draft opinion for the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2018
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Cursive signature in ink
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Kavanaugh (second from left) with President George W. Bush and White House staffers
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Kavanaugh (blue shirt) with President Bush, Andy Card, and Condoleezza Rice
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Kavanaugh is sworn into the D.C. Circuit by Justice Anthony Kennedy as his wife holds the Bible and President Bush looks on, 2006. Coincidentally, Kavanaugh would be sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court 12 years later as Kennedy's replacement.
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Kavanaugh and his family with President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018
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Kavanaugh holds his daughter while greeting British prime minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush.
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Kavanaugh being sworn in to succeed Anthony Kennedy as an associate justice on October 8, 2018
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The Kavanaugh family with President Bush
See also
In Spanish: Brett Kavanaugh para niños
- Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates
- Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies
- George W. Bush Supreme Court candidates
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 1)
- List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
