The newest member added to the United States political roster by Donald J. Trump, is Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. And this selection is raising eyebrows early on. Gorsuch will be taking the place of the deceased Antonin Scalia. A brief definition of the Supreme Court states that it is the final judge in all cases involving laws of Congress and the highest law of all; the Constitution. Which in layman’s terms means they are basically just the most powerful judges in the United States, and rule over the most influential and most difficult cases involving the Constitution, and all things dealing with Congress.

However, being a Supreme Court Justice may seem like a very difficult job only given to those with a high level of education and knowledge.  But in reality there are no requirements for becoming a Justice, you just have to be an American citizen. This is completely different from the Presidency and Congress.

Also, the Supreme Court is different because there are no term limits. Once you have been appointed Supreme Court Justice, you are entitled to that until you die, or choose to resign. In the United States history there have only been 112 justices. This number will make the jump to 113 once Neil Gorsuch gets the ‘okay’ from Congress.

Gorsuch, is a 49 year old judeg from Colorado. He has always lived in Colorado, and was a clerk to both justices, Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. Gorsuch briefly worked at the Department of Justice. He is a graduate of Harvard, in the same class as former President, Barack Obama (1991). After Harvard, Gorsuch received his Doctorate in Philosophy from Columbia. He also spent some time studying at Oxford. Since 2006, he has served on the tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado. In his free time, Gorsuch enjoys being outdoors, and especially likes to hunt, fish, and ski. Republicans are really hoping Gorsuch will become the intellectual heir to Scalia, and pick up right where he left off as the outspoken

leader of the Conservative bloc in the Courts. Neil Gorsuch has also written a book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.

The thing that stands out most about why Trump chose him, is he will give (Trump) Republicans, the opportunity to confirm a Supreme Court Justice, who could cement the conservative direction of the court for decades.

Before introducing Gorsuch, President Trump said, “It is my job to find the very best judge in the country for the Supreme Court. Millions of voters said this was the single most important issue for them when they voted for me for president. I am a man of my word, and today I am keeping another promise to the American people by nominating Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.” This shows clearly the faith that Donald Trump has in his choice for the Supreme Court. He stood up and told America that he had found the best (in his opinion) judge in the country to fill the hole left by Antonin Scalia.

I caught up with a few members of the Elder faculty and student body, whom gave me their take on Neil Gorsuch. English teacher, Mr. Quatman said, “I think Judge Gorsuch was a good choice. I think he will interpret the constitution the way it deserves to be interpreted. I think he will stand up and help defend the constitution unlike some of the other Supreme Court Justices. I think he is a great fit and a great example of what this new administration stands for.”

The current eight Supreme Court Justices are: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Democrat), Elena Kagan (Democrat), Clarence Thomas (Republican), Sonia Sotomayor (Democrat), Samuel Alito (Republican), Anthony Kennedy (Republican), John Roberts Jr. (Republican), and Stephen Breyer (Democrat).