Neil Gorsuch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Neil Gorsuch
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| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Assumed office April 10, 2017 |
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| Nominated by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Antonin Scalia |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | |
| In office August 8, 2006 – April 9, 2017 |
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| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | David M. Ebel |
| Succeeded by | Allison H. Eid |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Neil McGill Gorsuch
August 29, 1967 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Louise Gorsuch (Present) |
| Residence | Washington, D.C. (Official) Boulder, Colorado (Private) |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (JD) University College, Oxford (PhD) |
Neil McGill Gorsuch (born August 29, 1967) is an American judge and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since taking office on April 10, 2017. Before, he served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from August 8, 2006 through April 9, 2017.
On January 31, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. On April 3, the Senate Judiciary committee approved his nomination with a 11-9 vote. On April 7, 2017, the Senate confirmed Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court with a bipartisan 54–45 affirmative vote with three Democratic Senators joining all of the Republican Senators. He was sworn in on April 10, 2017.
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Early life
Gorsuch was born in Denver, Colorado. His mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, served as head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency during the Ronald Reagan administration from 1981 through 1983.
Gorsuch graduated from the Georgetown Preparatory School and received a B.A. from Columbia University (where he was the founder and first chief editor of alternative newspaper The Fed and won a Truman Scholarship). He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and Doctorate of Legal Philosophy from Oxford University.
Early career
Before joining the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch had been a Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice since 2005. From 1995-2005, Gorsuch was in private practice with the law firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel.
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2006–2017)
Gorsuch was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 10, 2006 to replace Judge David M. Ebel, who took Senior status in 2006. Gorsuch was confirmed by voice vote by the U.S. Senate on July 20, 2006. Gorsuch was Bush's fifth appointment to the Tenth Circuit. He resigned on April 9, 2017 to serve in the Supreme Court.
Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court (2017–present)
Nomination
In September 2016, during the U.S. presidential election, then-candidate Donald Trump included Gorsuch in a list of 21 current judges whom Trump would think about nominating to the Supreme Court if elected.
In January 2017, after President Trump was elected, some unnamed Trump advisers listed Gorsuch in a shorter list of eight of those names, who they said were the leading contenders to be nominated to replace the seat vacated by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
On January 31, 2017, President Trump announced his nomination of Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Trump formally transmitted the nomination to the Senate on February 1, 2017.
Hearings and vote
On April 3, the Senate Judiciary committee approved his nomination with a 11-9 vote. On April 6, 2017, Democrats filibustered (prevented cloture) the confirmation vote of Gorsuch, after which the Senate Republicans invoked the "nuclear option" and removed the option of a filibuster for Supreme Court nominees. On April 7, 2017, the Senate confirmed Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court with a bipartisan 54–45 affirmative vote with three Democratic Senators joining all of the Republican Senators.
Swearing in
Gorsuch was sworn into office on Monday, April 10, 2017, in two ceremonies. The Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts administered the first oath of office in a private ceremony at 9:00 a.m. at the Supreme Court. At 11:00 a.m., Justice Anthony Kennedy administered the second oath of office in a public ceremony at the White House.
Personal life
Gorsuch and his wife, Louise, have two daughters, Emma (born 1999) and Belinda (born 2001). They live in Boulder, Colorado.
Images for kids
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Gorsuch as Judge of the 10th Circuit
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Gorsuch at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2019
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Gorsuch in 2019
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Gorsuch and family with Donald Trump, Anthony Kennedy, and Mike Pence prior to his swearing-in
