Neil Gorsuch
A Supreme Court justice known for his crisp prose, originalist philosophy, and pivotal role in shaping the Court's conservative direction.
Born 1967 (age 59)·US Supreme Court justice since 2017·Birthday: August 29·Generation X
Biography
Neil Gorsuch stepped onto the Supreme Court in 2017 amid intense political scrutiny, filling a seat that had been vacant for over a year. A product of Columbia, Harvard, and Oxford, he cultivated a judicial philosophy deeply rooted in textualism and originalism, following in the footsteps of his predecessor and mentor, Antonin Scalia. On the bench, Gorsuch is recognized for his clear, sometimes biting writing style and a strong inclination toward religious liberty and criminal defendant rights, even when it puts him at odds with fellow conservatives. His vote has been decisive in landmark rulings on topics from LGBTQ employment rights to Native American sovereignty. More than just a reliable conservative vote, Gorsuch has shown an independent streak, authoring concurrences that meticulously carve out his own legal reasoning, signaling his intent to shape American jurisprudence for decades.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Neil was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Neil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Neil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the majority opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), ruling that Title VII protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Wrote a consequential concurrence in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, strengthening the interpretation of religious free exercise.
- Served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit for over a decade before his Supreme Court appointment.
- Published a book, "The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia," based on his doctoral dissertation from Oxford.
Did You Know?
He and current Justice Brett Kavanaugh were classmates at Georgetown Preparatory School.
He is the first Supreme Court justice to serve alongside a justice for whom he once clerked (Justice Anthony Kennedy).
He is an avid outdoorsman and fly fisherman.
He shares a birth year with Chief Justice John Roberts, though Roberts is 12 years older in service.
“A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge.”
