Encyclopedia · Biography

Neil Gorsuch

American jurist and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Personal details

Full name: Neil McGill Gorsuch
Born: August 29, 1967 · Denver, Colorado
Parents: David Gorsuch; Anne Gorsuch Burford
Education: Columbia University, B.A. (1988); Harvard Law School, J.D. (1991); University of Oxford, D.Phil. (2004)
Spouse: Marie Louise Gorsuch
Children: Emma and Belinda
Religion: Raised Catholic; later attended an Episcopal church (reported)
Military service: No confirmed military service
Judicial positions: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2006–2017); Supreme Court (2017– )

Neil McGill Gorsuch (born 1967) is an American jurist who has served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court since April 2017. Before that appointment he was a judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Early life and education

Gorsuch was born in Denver. His mother Anne Gorsuch Burford was administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Ronald Reagan, and his father David practiced law. Gorsuch received a B.A. from Columbia University in 1988, a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991 and a doctorate from Oxford in 2004. He and his wife Louise have two daughters.

Clerkships, law practice and Justice Department

He clerked for Judge David Sentelle and Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. He practiced law in Washington from 1995 until 2005 and served as principal deputy associate attorney general in the Justice Department in 2005–2006.

Federal judicial appointments

George W. Bush appointed him to the Tenth Circuit in 2006. President Donald Trump nominated him to the Supreme Court in early 2017; he took his seat April 10, 2017, following Senate confirmation.

Nomination contacts in original record

In written responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gorsuch stated that Leonard Leo contacted him about the vacancy in December 2016, Don McGahn interviewed him in January 2017, and Trump interviewed him on January 14. Gorsuch also identified Steve Bannon among the January 5 interview participants. These are recorded nomination contacts, not proof of an ongoing personal relationship or of any organization officially selecting him.

References

Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.