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person1965–

Brett Kavanaugh

Disciplines:
law
supreme court
philosophy/originalism
dc circuit

Summary

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (2018–) — former DC Circuit judge — Bush White House Staff Secretary — whose Senate confirmation was the most contentious since Bork (due to Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations) — a more centrist conservative voice than Alito or Thomas.

Core Contribution

Creates the swing vote position on the current conservative supermajority — Kavanaugh's tendency to write narrowly and join majorities for smaller holdings rather than sweeping constitutional revisions makes him the de facto median justice on a court that formally has no swing justice.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • The Blasey Ford hearing (2018) was the most watched Senate confirmation in American history — his emotional testimony defending himself against allegations that were never adjudicated created a political crisis that the Senate resolved on partisan lines; whatever the truth of the allegations, the confirmation process destroyed the norm of allegations being investigated before votes

Notable Works & Achievements

Supreme Court opinions

Historical Influences

Anthony Kennedy Originalism tradition

Intellectual Lineage

Washington D.C. Yale Yale Law DC Circuit

Contemporaries & Peers

Neil Gorsuch Amy Coney Barrett John Roberts

Minds Influenced

Supreme Court jurisprudence

Intellectual Posterity

Kavanaugh confirmation fightSupreme Court conservative majority

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Brett Kavanaugh

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