Dozens of former law clerks to Judge Neil Gorsuch penned a letter Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein making the case for why Gorsuch is extraordinarily qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.
“Our political views span the spectrum, and among us you will find differing views on how the Senate handled the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland,” the 39 former clerks wrote. “But 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.”
In the letter, Gorsuch’s qualifications are described as “impeccable.” Beyond his academic and experiential credentials, the judge is also described as having the ability to transcend partisan politics and adhere to the Constitution and rule of law with “tremendous care and discipline.”
“As law clerks who have worked at his side, we know that Judge Gorsuch never resolves a case by the light of his personal view of what the law should be. Nor does he ever bend the law to reach a particular result he desires. For Judge Gorsuch, a judge’s task is not to usurp the legislature’s role; it is to find and apply the law as written. That conviction, rooted in his respect for the separation of powers, makes him an exemplary candidate to serve on the nation’s highest court,” the undersigned wrote.
The clerks also remarked on the exemplary man he is behind the robe.
"Most importantly, 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. But we also know something of his life outside of chambers, as a man utterly devoted to his wife and two teenage daughters. That is because Judge Gorsuch welcomes his clerks into his extended family. For most of us, Denver is far from family and friends. Judge Gorsuch made us feel at home for our year there in countless ways — from inviting us to his home to share a meal together to hosting hikes and ski trips in the Colorado mountains. And after we left his chambers, he has continued to teach and mentor us, never hesitating to give us his time and sound guidance."
In conclusion, the clerks note that he’s a “remarkable judge and a remarkable man” and urge the Senate to move on his nomination at once.