Brett Kavanaugh

Details

Birth

February 12, 1965 · Washington, D.C.

Death

Living

Law school

yale university

Prior experience

Lecturer/adjunct

Biography

Brett Michael Kavanaugh (born February 12, 1965) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since October 6, 2018. Born in Washington, D.C., Kavanaugh graduated from Yale College in 1987 and Yale Law School in 1990. He began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Walter Stapleton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and later for Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh worked in private practice at Kirkland & Ellis before joining Kenneth Starr's investigation of President Bill Clinton as an associate counsel. He subsequently served in the George W. Bush administration, first in the White House Counsel's office and later as Staff Secretary to the President. In 2006, President Bush nominated Kavanaugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where he served for twelve years before his Supreme Court appointment. President Donald Trump nominated him to succeed Justice Kennedy in 2018, though his confirmation process became highly contentious due to allegations of sexual misconduct, which Kavanaugh denied. Kavanaugh's judicial philosophy is generally characterized as conservative textualism and originalism. His notable Supreme Court opinions include his majority opinion in Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas (2019), striking down residency requirements for liquor retailers, and his concurrence in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade. He has typically aligned with the Court's conservative wing while occasionally joining more moderate positions on certain issues, particularly those involving the First Amendment and separation of powers.

Notable opinions

• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
• New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen