During his esteemed legal career, Judge Neil Gorsuch has been repeatedly praised by scholars, legal experts, and conservative thought leaders for his sound jurisprudence and thoughtful legal opinions
February 1, 2017
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: JUDGE GORSUCH IS “VERY NATURAL CHOICE…AS REPLACEMENT FOR SCALIA,” “CONSISTENT CONSERVATIVE”
During his esteemed legal career, Judge Neil Gorsuch has been repeatedly praised by scholars, legal experts, and conservative thought leaders for his sound jurisprudence and thoughtful legal opinions. As he’s about to be nominated to serve on the nation’s highest court, here’s some of the commentary that shows why he’s perfect for the job:
Eric Citron, SCOTUS Blog: “In fact, one study has identified him as the most natural successor to Justice Antonin Scalia on the Trump shortlist, both in terms of his judicial style and his substantive approach.”
- Citron: “Gorsuch is still a very natural choice for any Republican president to nominate as a replacement for Scalia – someone who would espouse similar principles, stand firm on similar doctrinal commitments, reach similar outcomes, and even fill a similar role as one of the court’s most articulate defenders of conservative judicial theory.”
John Malcolm, Heritage Foundation: “He has a brilliant mind. He has a clear, analytical writing style. He writes with verve and spirit, very much in the vein of Antonin Scalia.”
- Malcolm: “He is very bright, well-respected and quite personable…And there’s no question he would not be as contentious as some others.”
National Law Journal: “A consistent conservative much like the late Antonin Scalia in his embrace of originalism in interpreting statutes and the Constitution.”
Justin Marceau, University Of Denver Law School: “It means that we would see a judge who, while perhaps not as combative in personal style as Justice Scalia, is perhaps his intellectual equal.”
Paul Collins, University Of Massachusetts-Amherst Law School: “Ideologically, he’s really cut from a similar cloth as Scalia… He’s known to be pretty conservative and considers himself to be an originalist in the mode of Scalia.”
Jan Crawford, CBS News: “He’s considered a solid conservative.”
Trace Gallagher, Fox News: “When it comes to his interpretation of the constitution, Judge Neil Gorsuch certainly fits the conservative archetype.”
Andrew Napolitano, Fox News: “He is an originalist, meaning, he believes that the meaning of the constitution was fixed at the time it was ratified and was changed only at the times that was amended.”
- Napolitano: “A younger version of Antonin Scalia.”
Robert Barnes, The Washington Post: “He more resembles the man he would replace — the late Justice Antonin Scalia.”
- Barnes: “Decade of solidly conservative opinions”
Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review: “A well-respected conservative whose legal philosophy is remarkably similar to that of Antonin Scalia.”
- Ponnuru: “Gorsuch shares Scalia’s philosophy and intelligence, if not his acerbity, and in selecting him Trump has made good on a crucial campaign promise.”
Erick Erickson, The Resurgent: “Judge Gorsuch is the one nominee who matches Antonin Scalia’s intellectual pedigree and will unite all the factions within the Republican Party.”
- Erickson: “It is rock solid.”
Kevin Simpson, Denver Post: “Gorsuch brings strong conservative bonafides that would — at least in theory — re-establish a court majority.”
Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center: “He’s likely to be the most effective conservative nominee in terms of winning over Anthony Kennedy and forging conservative decisions on the court.”
Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch: “I think conservatives would consider him to be an exciting pick.
- Fitton: I think it’s fair to say he’s a leader in terms of conservative jurisprudence and I think he quickly would become a strong voice on the court for his constitutional approach to decision making.”