Neil Gorsuch Biography

Neil McGill Gorsuch was born on August 29, 1967, to Anne Gorsuch Burford (nee Anne Irene McGill) and David Ronald Gorsuch Denver, in Colorado, U.S.A.

His parents graduated in law from the 'University of Colorado' in 1964 and became lawyers. Neil grew up with one brother, J.J. Gorsuch, and one sister, Stephanie.

He was raised a Catholic and attended 'Christ the King School,' a K-8 Catholic institution.

Between 1976 and 1980, his mother served in the 'Colorado House of Representatives.' The following year, the then-president, Ronald Reagan, appointed Anne, Neil's mother, as the administrator of the ‘United States Environmental Protection Agency.' She became the first woman to hold this position.

Owing to Anne's new position, she was transferred to Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. Neil and the family followed her to Bethesda.

After moving to Bethesda, Neil joined the 'Georgetown Preparatory School,' a Jesuit institution in North Bethesda, Maryland.

In the early 1980s, during his days at ‘Georgetown Prep.,’ he volunteered as a 'United States Senate Page.' In 1985, he graduated from the institute.

He then attended 'Columbia University' in New York City and graduated with a BA degree in political science.

While at ‘Columbia,’ Neil Gorsuch became a member of the 'Phi Beta Kappa' and the 'Phi Gamma Delta' societies. He contributed to the 'Columbia Daily Spectator,' a weekly student newspaper of Columbia. He co-founded 'The Federalist,' a student newspaper published once every 3 weeks, in 1986, and a magazine titled 'The Morningside Review.'

He graduated “cum laude” from ‘Columbia’ in 1988 and joined 'Harvard Law School,' having earned the “Harry S. Truman Scholarship.”

During his days at ‘Harvard,’ he was identified as a committed conservative who spoke in favor of the Gulf War and congressional term limits.

In 1991, he received his Juris Doctor degree “cum laude” from ‘Harvard.’

He received the “Marshall Scholarship” in 1992–1993. It enabled him to study at any university in the United Kingdom. He chose to pursue his post-graduate studies at 'Oxford University,' United Kingdom.

His post-graduate research topic was related to “assisted suicide,” or “euthanasia.” He was guided by John Finnis, a professor of law and legal philosophy and an advocate of natural law at the 'University College,' Oxford, and Timothy Endicott, a legal philosopher and professor at the 'Balliol College,' Oxford. In 2004, he earned his PhD in law from the ‘University of Oxford.’

He met Marie Louise Burleston, his future wife, during his days at ‘Oxford.’

Between 1991 and 1994, Neil Gorsuch served as a judicial clerk to David B. Sentelle, Byron White, and Anthony Kennedy.

In 1995, he joined a 2-year-old Washington, D.C. law firm named 'Kellog, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel' as an associate. The firm is now known as 'Kellog, Hansen, Todd, Evans, Figel & Frederick.' Two years later, he became a partner at the firm. He worked with them until 2005, handling commercial matters such as securities fraud, antitrust, contracts, and RICO.

From 2005 to 2006, he worked as the principal deputy to the associate attorney general, Robert McCallum, at the 'United States Department of Justice.’ During this tenure there, he managed the department's civil divisions and handled civil-litigation components such as civil rights, antitrust, tax divisions, and the environment.

On July 20, 2006, Neil Gorsuch was unanimously confirmed as a judge of the 'U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit,' by a voice vote in the ‘U.S. Senate.’ He was nominated by the then-president, George W. Bush. He served in this position until early 2017.

In 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of the associate justice of the ‘Supreme Court of the United States.' On April 8, 2017, he received his commission. He was sworn in 2 days later. He continues to serve in this position.

In a ruling in 2011, Neil Gorsuch challenged the relevance of the "dormant" commerce clause (a long-standing interpretation of the constitution's commerce clause that prevented state laws and regulations from interfering with interstate commerce).

In the 2013 case of “Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.,” he agreed with the ‘Tenth Circuit's decision that a privately owned business establishment could be brought under the 'Religious Freedom Restoration Act’ (RFRA, 1993), and that the so-called "contraceptive mandate," issued by the 'Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS), according to the 'Affordable Care Act’ (2010), illegitimately invaded the religious freedom of 'Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.' and its owners.

In 2016, he questioned the rationale of the "Chevron deference," the principle of administrative law ascertained by the 'Supreme Court' in the “Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council” case (1984).

In March 2019, he joined the liberal judges to favor the Yakama Nation. Two months later, he again joined the four liberal judges and decided in favor of the Native Americans. In 2020, too, he took a similar stand.

In 2020, he wrote a judgment upholding the rights of the LGBTQ community and holding organizations accountable for discriminating on the basis of sex and gender.

In July 2020, along with two conservative judges and four liberal judges, Neil Gorsuch granted the 'Manhattan District Attorney' access to Trump's tax filings.

His outstanding contribution to the 'Department of Justice' earned Neil Gorsuch the 'Edward J. Randolph Award.'

The ‘Harry S. Truman Foundation' honored him with the 'Stevens Award' for outstanding public service in law.

Neil Gorsuch married his college sweetheart, Marie, in 1996, at the 'St. Nicholas' Anglican Church,' Marie's parish in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.

Marie is an English woman and a member of the 'Church of England.' After the couple went to the U.S., they became members of the 'Episcopal Church.'

The couple has two daughters: Emma, born in 1999, and Belinda, born in 2001. Following in their parents’ footsteps, they actively participate in the services and activities of the church.

Neil's hobbies include fly-fishing, skiing, hiking, and rowing.

The family stays in Boulder, Colorado. The Gorsuchs devote most of their time rearing horses, chickens, and goats on their 3-acre plot.

He is an adjunct professor of law at the 'University of Colorado,' Boulder.

His book 'The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia' was published in July 2006.