Even The Legal Left Can’t Help But Praise Judge Gorsuch

LIBERAL LAW PROFESSORS: ‘A Brilliant Mind,’ ‘A Kind, Sensitive And Caring Human Being,’ ‘[H]e Follows The Law As Best As He Can Wherever It Might Lead’

YALE LAW PROFESSOR E. DONALD ELLIOTT: “I have known him personally for more than a decade, since he was an attorney in the Justice Department. 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... [H]e 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. . . More important is putting on the court someone like Neil Gorsuch—a good person with solid values—to decide, as the law requires, future controversies that we have yet to dream.” (E. Donald Elliott, Op-Ed, “For Moderate Democrats, Judge Gorsuch Is as Good as It Gets,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/06/2017)

• ELLIOTT: “The sensible route for moderate Democrats is clear: They should cross the aisle and join Republicans to cut off a filibuster, allowing an up-or-down vote by a simple majority on Judge Gorsuch. . . This is an opportunity to break the cycle by coming together for the good of the country. The partisan wars started in 1987 with Judge Robert Bork; the time to end them is 2017 with Judge Gorsuch.” (E. Donald Elliott, Op-Ed, “For Moderate Democrats, Judge Gorsuch Is as Good as It Gets,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/06/2017)

“[Constitutional scholar and longtime Harvard Law professor Alan] Dershowitz said Gorsuch is ‘among the best people on that list of 21’ potential nominees Trump had rolled out during the campaign, adding, ‘He’ll be hard to oppose on the merits.’ … Dershowitz said, adding Gorsuch has a reputation as a ‘very easy guy to get along with.’” (“Dershowitz: Gorsuch ‘Smart Appointment,’ ‘Hard to Oppose,’” Newsmax, 1/31/2017)

• DERSHOWITZ: “…highly credentialed and hard to oppose. … I don’t think it would be fair to call him an extreme right-wing ideology; that doesn’t seem to fit what I know about him.” (“Dershowitz: Gorsuch ‘Smart Appointment,’ ‘Hard to Oppose,’” Newsmax, 1/31/2017)

NEAL KATYAL, former Solicitor General under President Obama: “I was an acting solicitor general for President Barack Obama; Judge Gorsuch has strong conservative bona fides and was appointed to the 10th Circuit by President George W. Bush. But I have seen him up close and in action, both in court and on the Federal Appellate Rules Committee (where both of us serve); 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.” (Neal Katyal, Op-Ed, “Why Liberals Should Back Neil Gorsuch,” The New York Times, 1/31/2017)

LAURENCE TRIBE, Legal Mentor To President Obama: “…Gorsuch is a brilliant, terrific guy who would do the Court's work with distinction.” (Twitter, @Tribelaw, 2/1/17)

JONATHAN TURLEY, Liberal Law Professor At George Washington Law School: “Gorsuch is an intellectual leader.  He fits the bill for those people that view Scalia[‘s death] as the loss of an intellectual icon. Gorsuch has that depth of analysis that you see in his opinions. He has a true sense of his jurisprudence, so he’ll come to the court with a very strong record, a very powerful writer and a very considerable intellect.” (Fox News’ “The First 100 Days,” 1/31/17)

PARTNERS & FORMER PARTNERS, INCLUDING LEADERS OF THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY: Judge Gorusch Is ‘Superbly Qualified,’ ‘An Outstanding Jurist,’ With ‘A Very Distinguished Background’

39 Partners And Former Partners Of Gorusch’s Former Law Firm, Including Two Leaders Of The Liberal American Constitution Society: “We are present and former partners in the law firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, PLLC. We are Democrats, independents, and Republicans. Many of us have served in government, some during Republican and some during Democratic administrations; some of us have served in both. We have clerked for Supreme Court justices and appellate and district court judges appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents. We represent a broad spectrum of views on politics, judicial philosophy, and many other subjects as well. But we all agree on one thing: our former colleague, Neil M. Gorsuch – our associate – and then partner for more than a decade – is superbly qualified for confirmation to the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is a man of character, decency, and accomplishment who merits this appointment.” (Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, P.L.L.C. partners and former partners, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 2/02/2017; “Leadership,” American Constitution Society Website, Accessed 2/07/2017)

• “Neil’s equal regard for everyone extended to his work as a litigator. He zealously represented all of his clients – plaintiffs and defendants, individuals and corporations, nonprofits and small businesses, paying clients and pro bono clients – without regard to ideology. For Neil, each client deserved the best arguments that could be mustered, consistent with the facts and the law. . . Neil is not only a good and humble man, he is also an outstanding jurist. We are fully confident that he will decide cases on principled grounds; that he will work tirelessly to get each case right, on its particular merits; that he will be thoughtful about the views of his colleagues, and will deliberate respectfully and productively to reach consensus where that is possible; and that he will demonstrate the integrity and ability that we all saw in our years as his colleagues.” (Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, P.L.L.C. partners and former partners, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 2/02/2017; “Leadership,” American Constitution Society Website, Accessed 2/07/2017)

• “Neil is not only a good and humble man, he is also an outstanding jurist. We are fully confident that he will decide cases on principled grounds; that he will work tirelessly to get each case right, on its particular merits; that he will be thoughtful about the views of his colleagues, and will deliberate respectfully and productively to reach consensus where that is possible; and that he will demonstrate the integrity and ability that we all saw in our years as his colleagues.” (Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, P.L.L.C. partners and former partners, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 2/02/2017; “Leadership,” American Constitution Society Website, Accessed 2/07/2017)