| Law Clerks
39 Former Clerks For Judge Gorsuch: “We are united in our view that Judge Gorsuch is an extraordinary judge. The undersigned are every single one of Judge Gorsuch’s former clerks not currently clerking for a justice. All of us strongly support his confirmation as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court.”
- “We know Judge Gorsuch to be a man of decency and integrity…In his work life, he treats everyone around him with the utmost respect — staff, interns, students, clerks and his colleagues on the bench.”
- “If confirmed, we are confident that Judge Gorsuch’s independence — grounded in the limited powers granted to the judiciary by the Constitution — will never waver.”
- “Judge Gorsuch is a remarkable judge and a remarkable man. We are certain that, if confirmed, Judge Gorsuch would serve his country admirably as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.”
Note: Every one of Judge Gorsuch’s clerks since he became a judge in 2006 signed this letter, with the exception of two individuals who are now clerking on the U.S. Supreme Court
Michael E. Kenneally, Matt Owen, Eric Tung – Former Clerks For Judge Gorsuch & Justice Scalia: “Judge Gorsuch’s qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court are beyond question.”
- “Judge Gorsuch’s opinions reflect the principle Justice Scalia spent his career defending: that in a democracy, the people’s elected representatives, not judges, get to decide what laws we should have.”
- “Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to his seat on the Court, however, gives us tremendous comfort and excitement.”
- “He will be as principled, as courageous and as committed to the Constitution and our country. The American people could not ask for more of a Supreme Court justice than that.”
Owen: “He’s the sort of judge who has a well-earned reputation for being careful and for following the law without thinking about who it will favor in any particular case.”
- “There’s a well-qualified nominee who was unanimously confirmed to the Court of Appeals ten years ago, with no opposition, who’s had ten years to build a record of universal respect.”
Jessica Greenstone – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch: “From personal experience, I can add that the judge deliberately sought clerks with diverse perspectives and encouraged open debates to reach the best conclusion.”
- “Judge Gorsuch is a sincere, humble and devoted steward of the law who has a demonstrated record of faithfully upholding our constitutional rights. He deserves our support.”
Jonathan Papik – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch: “I can personally attest to his legal brilliance.”
- “Anyone who works for Judge Gorsuch also quickly comes to see his integrity. Regardless of the issue before him, all arguments are given fair consideration and cases are never politicized.”
- “Regardless of whether one comes to agree with his legal philosophy, it is safe to conclude that every citizen should hope for Supreme Court nominees that are decent, caring, and honorable people. On that score, the country can do no better than Judge Neil Gorsuch.”
Jane Nitze – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch & Justice Sotomayor. Former Obama Administration Official: “[T]hree things stick out to me from my time as clerk for him. One is his real deep reverence and love for the Constitution and the rule of law, which came forth on a daily basis. Two was his deeply held belief in the role of the judge in our constitutional framework, which is that the judge is not there to play politics. The judge is there to enforce a law that Congress wrote, read the text of the Constitution that the Founders drafted for us. And three, I would say he’s just an incredibly kind, decent, good man.”
- “I just had the great fortune to clerk for someone who had a deep reverence for the Constitution and the rule of law that we saw on a daily basis, someone who thought that the judiciary was not a place for politics.”
Nitze: “What struck me was his real, genuine reverence for the Constitution and the rule of law that came through on a daily basis… His judicial record shows he applies the law impartially.”
- “He’s really a kind, genuine and decent man…Any clerk you speak to, would just speak glowingly and lovingly of him.”
Jason Murray – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch & Justice Kagan: “Gorsuch will make an exceptional Supreme Court justice. He possesses a rare combination of intelligence, humility and integrity, not to mention a fierce commitment to the rule of law. In fact, he is remarkably similar on these metrics to Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.”
- “Both Gorsuch and Kagan consistently emphasized to us law clerks that, if we weren’t telling them when we thought their instincts on a case were wrong, we weren’t doing our jobs. For both, the goal was to reach the correct legal result, rather than advance any political party’s agenda.”
- “In times like these, liberals should welcome a nominee like Gorsuch — who is honest, principled and committed to safeguarding the rule of law.”
Jamil Jaffer – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch: “He’s going to come here, do his job as a judge, find the right case on the law, decide the case on the law, on the merits, and move forward.”
Sean Jackowitz – Former Clerk For Judge Gorsuch: “Judge Gorsuch is a humble man, and his humility informs his textualist approach to the law and makes him uniquely qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice.”
- “After a year of clerking for Judge Gorsuch, I became convinced that judges should first and foremost be careful readers of legal text – and, for my own benefit, that the best attorneys understand what the words of a legal text actually say.”
Law Professors & Experts
Laurence Tribe – Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University. Former Advisor To President Obama: “Gorsuch is as smart as he is conservative, and he writes elegantly…He’s a brilliant, terrific guy who would do the court’s work with distinction.”
Neal Katyal – Paul Saunders Professor Of National Security Law, Georgetown University. Former Acting Solicitor General For Obama Administration: “He brings a sense of fairness and decency to the job, and a temperament that suits the nation’s highest court.”
- “I have no doubt that if confirmed, Judge Gorsuch would help to restore confidence in the rule of law. His years on the bench reveal a commitment to judicial independence — a record that should give the American people confidence that he will not compromise principle to favor the president who appointed him.”
- “Right about now, the public could use some reassurance that no matter how chaotic our politics become, the members of the Supreme Court will uphold the oath they must take: to ‘administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich.’ I am confident Neil Gorsuch will live up to that promise.”
Michael W. McConnell – Professor Of Constitutional Law, Stanford University. Former Judge On 10th Circuit Court Of Appeals & Former Clerk For Justice Brennan: “Based on my personal knowledge of Neil Gorsuch as a judge, the president could not have made a finer appointment.”
- “He treats everyone with respect. Not just fellow judges, but lawyers, law clerks, and court personnel—everyone.”
- “Gorsuch actively engages with lawyers, listens carefully to their positions, asks penetrating questions, and reflects fair-mindedly on what they have to say.”
- “Judge Gorsuch is unfailingly cordial and collegial, not as a mere matter of etiquette, but in the deeper sense of intellectual engagement even with, or perhaps especially with, colleagues with whom he might not be in agreement.”
- “This is exactly the kind of justice Americans of all political stripes should hope for.”
Richard Lazarus – Howard & Kathy Aibel Professor Of Law, Harvard University: “This is a man of enormous achievements.”
- “The single most qualified person” on Trump’s list of 21 potential nominees, a judge “who is smart and has integrity.”
- “Gorsuch on the merits would be harder to resist.”
E. Donald Elliott – Professor (Adjunct) Of Law, Yale University: “He is a brilliant mind, but more important he is a kind, sensitive and caring human being. Judge Gorsuch tries very hard to get the law right.”
- “He is not an ideologue, not the kind to always rule in favor of businesses or against the government. Instead, he follows the law as best as he can wherever it might lead.”
- “Judge Gorsuch has demonstrated in his rulings that he believes the judiciary has a sworn duty to protect individual liberties, even when they lack broad public support.”
Timothy Mayer – Professor Of Law, Vanderbilt University: “Judge Gorsuch embodies everything a judge should be — intelligent, fair, open-minded, with a deep commitment to the judiciary and its role in our democratic process.”
- “He is also one of the most decent and kind people I have ever met, a trait that he carries with him from his personal life to the bench…The Court and the country would be lucky to have him.”
Landman Goldsmith – Henry L. Shattuck Professor Of Law, Harvard University: “He’s immensely qualified for the Supreme Court — an outstanding lawyer, and judge, and person.”
Catherine Struve – Professor Of Law, University Of Pennsylvania: “Having worked with him in the rulemaking process I have the highest regard for his integrity, judicial temperament, intellect, and gift for writing.”
Daniel Farber – Sho Sato Professor Of Law, University Of California-Berkeley: “In terms of credentials, Gorsuch is impeccable — apart from not having gone to UC Berkeley, that is! He graduated from Columbia University, was a classmate of Obama’s at Harvard Law School, and received a D.Phil. (equivalent to a doctorate) in legal philosophy at the University of Oxford.”
Matthew C. Waxman – Liviu Librescu Professor Of Law, Columbia University: “Neil Gorsuch is a brilliant legal thinker and brings the highest standards of integrity to the bench.”
Lisa Schultz Bressman – David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair In Law, Vanderbilt La School: “Judge Gorsuch is a person of great intellect, yes, but also a person of integrity who exercises thoughtful consideration and reasoned judgment.”
Conservative Leaders
Ken Blackwell – Family Research Council: The rule of law, not the rule of judges, is a theme Gorsuch has returned to often in his work.”
- “Gorsuch is just as principled and tenacious when it comes to protecting those rights actually enshrined in the text of our Constitution and laws.”
The National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA): “Judge Gorsuch’s embrace of originalism is a bulwark for our Second Amendment rights. When given the opportunity to consider the matter in his professional capacity, Judge Gorsuch has made clear that he understands the importance of the right to keep and bear arms.”
Elected Officials
Sen. Sasse (R-NE): “Judge Gorsuch is a rock star.”
Sen. Barrasso (R-WY): “He appears to take the law and the Constitution at face value. He doesn’t treat them like blank pages on which he can rewrite the laws the way he wishes they were.”
Sen. Hatch (R-UT): “Judge Gorsuch is an ideal choice to fill this seat: He has impeccable credentials and a decade-long record on the bench demonstrating a keen understanding of the proper role of a judge.”
- “Given the increasingly contentious nature of the confirmation process, it is no surprise that many Democrats are stretching to find anything objectionable about Judge Gorsuch, no matter how ridiculous.”
Sen. Flake (R-AZ):“He’s an accomplished mainstream jurist and he is a worthy successor to Judge Antonin Scalia. I look forward to seeing him receive an up-or-down vote here on the senate floor.”
Sen. Toomey (R-PA): “[Gorsuch is someone who] understands the proper role of a judge, … [will] apply the law and the U.S. Constitution as they are written, not as someone might wish they were written.”
- “I’m absolutely a ‘yes’ vote, barring some completely unanticipatable, shocking new discovery that obviously I am quite confident will not occur.”
Sen. Portman (R-OH): “Judge Gorsuch has an outstanding record as a fair-minded, independent and universally-respected judge, and, after today’s meeting, I join others in offering him my support.”
Sen. Ernst (R-IA): “One would be hard pressed to dispute the academic credentials and intellectual rigor of Judge Neil Gorsuch.”
- “During the course of Judge Gorsuch’s 10-year judicial career, his opinions have reflected not only his outstanding legal acumen, but also his respect for the Constitution, and his Scalia-like ability to explain his decisions.”
Editorials
Charleston Daily Gazette: “Neil Gorsuch A Great Pick For Supreme Court”
- “Neil Gorsuch has the qualities anyone considered for justice of the highest court should have: a strong understanding and respect for the nation’s founding document, the U.S. Constitution.”
- “The Republican-controlled Senate was right to hold off its ‘consent’ of Garland as a justice, preferring to await the election and hope for a much better pick. And Gorsuch is a much better pick.”
Kansas City Star: “A qualified and thoughtful jurist”
- “The Coloradan Trump has chosen is a younger, calmer Antonin Scalia”
- “While progressives screaming ‘Do your job!’ outside Schumer’s window want him and other Democrats to say no to everything Trump says and does, that’s not a strategy that will work”
The Detroit Free-Press: “A seasoned appellate judge respected by peers across the ideological spectrum.”
- “His academic credentials and professional experience match those of some of his most distinguished predecessors; indeed, there is scarcely an elite legal circle in which he is not a card-carrying member.”
- “Democrat senators will be hard-pressed to obstruct Gorsuch’s nomination without doing further damage to both the court and their own institution.”
The Detroit News: “Neil Gorsuch is highly principled and deeply experienced, and is poised to become the intellectual leader of conservative jurisprudence.”
- “Gorsuch is a masterful pick. His resume and background are beyond challenge.”
- “He is a legal superstar and Democrats know it.”
- “Again, there’s no disputing Neil Gorsuch’s qualifications for the court. His resume matches or exceeds that of any sitting justice.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch: “Gorsuch’s personal qualities also have earned praise. His attitudes and approaches as an appellate judge seem to impress opponents of his judicial interpretations as well as supporters of them.”
- “The Times-Dispatch believes Neil Gorsuch would be a valuable addition to a Supreme Court whose motto proclaims ‘Equal justice under law.'”
The Washington Times: “Donald Trump, rookie or not in the highest of all leagues, knocked one out of the park with his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
- “The distinguished choice in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia who reveres the Constitution as it was written…”
- “If Mr. Gorsuch is confirmed, as expected, it will be an occasion for defenders of the Constitution to celebrate.”
The Denver Post: “Happily add us to those excited to see Colorado native Neil Gorsuch nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
- “Gorsuch is a brilliant legal mind and talented writer whom observers praise for his ability to apply the law fairly and consistently.”
- “Neil Gorsuch would make a fine addition to the Supremes. We hope the Senate manages to place him on the high court in short order.”
Colorado Springs Gazette: “Trump could not have made a better Supreme Court appointment than Gorsuch.”
- “We want an originalist, Scalia-like judge because disciplined interpretation of the Constitution has kept this country prosperous and free for 241 years.”
- “He is a defender of liberty and justice and stands the best chance of filling the prodigious void created by Scalia’s death.”
New Hampshire Union Leader: “Colorado Judge Neil Gorsuch is an excellent choice to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, and fulfills President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to pick a worthy successor to Justice Antonin Scalia.”
- “Neil Gorsuch would be a stellar addition to the court, and we endorse his confirmation.”
Boston Herald: “Any senator who votes to oppose the nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court will have done so motivated by blind partisanship — or revenge.”
- “There is simply no credible case to make that President Trump’s nominee is insufficiently qualified or unreasonably out of the judicial mainstream.”
- “He boasts a flawless resume. He is praised for his temperament and clear writing. He deserves fair consideration and speedy confirmation.”
San Diego Union – Tribune: “Gorsuch is an impressive jurist, and that judgment goes beyond his Harvard law background, his clerking for two U.S. Supreme Court justices and the acclaim he’s received as a judge and professor.”
- “If Gorsuch does well in his nomination hearings and if no red flags emerge in the heavy scrutiny he is likely to face in coming weeks, he deserves confirmation.”
Chicago Sun-Times: “Hold a hearing. Vet the nominee. Take a vote.”
- “Senate Democrats should be wary of trying to block the confirmation of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch…”
- “Gorsuch is widely respected in legal circles, across the political spectrum, as a serious scholar committed to the rule of law.”
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