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March 16, 2017

Gorsuch Receives ABA’s Highest Rating for Supreme Court


Neil Gorsuch
Photo courtesy of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The American Bar Association (ABA) last week gave Judge Neil Gorsuch its highest rating for judicial nominees, bestowing on him the rating of “well qualified” to serve as an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court. For a conservative justice like Gorsuch to receive a rating this high is a testament to his strong judicial principles and utmost respect for our country’s Constitution.

The ABA is a private organization, comprised of carefully selected American lawyers. Although the organization holds no actual power, and serves no official duty, it is a highly regarded institution, featuring some of America’s greatest legal minds. Their ratings, while not an official government assessment, are respected as the gold standard for assessing judicial competence.

The ABA has created three easily understandable ratings for judicial nominees; not qualified, qualified, and well qualified. Not only was Judge Gorsuch given the ABA’s highest rating, but the organization’s standing committee on the federal judiciary voted unanimously to rate Gorsuch “well qualified.”

When it comes to his judicial knowledge and experience, Gorsuch is among the best our country has to offer. His stellar career includes a Ph.D. from Oxford, as well as degrees from Harvard and Columbia Law School. He was formerly a Supreme Court law clerk, senior Justice Department official, private litigator and federal appeals court judge.

While Gorsuch has been heralded as a conservative champion, he is well respected by those who might disagree with his judicial philosophy. Gorsuch is a man who puts the Constitution before politics and understands the responsibility that comes with the seat he is nominated to fill.

We hope and trust the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Gorsuch. And the vote can’t come a moment too soon. A recent court ruling from the 4th Circuit has put our Second Amendment rights in jeopardy. The ruling in Kolbe vs. Hogan holds that an individual citizen does not have a constitutional right to own the most common and popular modern sporting rifles, or their standard capacity magazines. If this ruling comes before the Supreme Court as currently configured, it would most likely result in a tied 4-4 ruling. And in the case of a tie, the lower court ruling would stand.

That’s only the first reason we need Judge Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed to the Supreme Court. With his confirmation hearings set to start next week, we wish Judge Gorsuch the best of luck and ask that you would give him your support. Call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 today, and ask them to vote to confirm Judge Gorsuch!

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