--- title: Neil Gorsuch: Columbia Classmates Write Letter of Support description: More than 150 of Neil Gorsuch's former classmates at Columbia University wrote a letter supporting his Supreme Court nomination canonical: https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-07T22:05:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:19:39.457Z article:section: Politics og:title: Neil Gorsuch's Columbia Classmates Wrote a Letter Supporting His Nomination og:description: Praising his "commitment to respectful and open dialogue on campus" og:url: https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba03a67dbeb0746/6988bb54097b900e949b8fcd/gorsuch2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Neil Gorsuch og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Neil Gorsuch's Columbia Classmates Wrote a Letter Supporting His Nomination twitter:description: Praising his "commitment to respectful and open dialogue on campus" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba03a67dbeb0746/6988bb54097b900e949b8fcd/gorsuch2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 03:09 video:published: 2017-02-01 section: politics topics: Supreme Court nomination, judicial philosophy, originalism, constitutional interpretation, Senate confirmation, separation of powers, Justice Scalia legacy genre: news, speech tones: formal, respectful, grateful, solemn emotions: gratitude (high), respect (high), grief (medium), humility (medium) sentiment: positive audience: general news audiences, policy observers, legal professionals, political followers people: Donald Trump, Neil Gorsuch, Antonin Scalia, Robert Jackson, Louise organizations: United States Supreme Court, United States Senate, Congress content_suitability: death [00:00-00:02]; politics [00:00-03:09] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Neil Gorsuch's Columbia Classmates Wrote a Letter of Support For His Supreme Court Nomination > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=035c2389-0d17-4ed6-bb85-50aa67580f4b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch For Supreme Court [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch For Supreme Court](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EA1urb8K.m3u8) (3:09)  _Published 2017-02-01. President Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch, a federal judge in Colorado with a similar writing style and outlook on the Constitution as the late Justice Antonin Scalia._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary President Trump announces his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, following the sudden death of Justice Scalia. He describes the nominee's qualities and his promise to select a judge who respects and loves the Constitution and interprets it as written. Gorsuch then thanks the President and the Senate, pledges faithful service to the Constitution, honors Justice Scalia, and speaks about his family and faith. ## Key points - Trump says he promised, if elected, to find the very best judge in the country for the Supreme Court after Justice Scalia died suddenly. (00:00) - Trump says he promised to select someone who respects the laws, represents the Constitution, loves it, and will interpret it as written. (00:16) - Trump says Judge Neil Gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan support. (00:57) - Gorsuch pledges that if confirmed he will do all his powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and laws. (01:20) - Gorsuch calls Justice Scalia a lion of the law and says he misses him, agreeing or disagreeing with his views. (01:43) - Gorsuch says the Senate is the greatest deliberative body in the world and that it is Congress, not the courts, that writes new laws. (01:59) - Gorsuch states that a judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge. (02:19) - Gorsuch thanks his wife Louise of 20 years, his daughters, family, friends, and faith for their support. (02:40) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 01:00] Trump announces Gorsuch nomination. Trump recounts his promise after Justice Scalia's death and introduces Judge Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee. - [01:00 to 01:43] Gorsuch accepts nomination and pledges service. Gorsuch thanks the President and pledges faithful service to the Constitution and laws. - [01:43 to 02:19] Tribute to Scalia and views on judging. Gorsuch honors Justice Scalia, respects the Senate's role, and describes the role of judges as applying rather than altering the law. - [02:19 to 03:09] Gorsuch thanks family and faith. Gorsuch thanks his wife, daughters, family, friends, and faith, and closes with gratitude. ## Key quotes - [00:16] Donald Trump: "I promised to select someone who respects our laws." - [01:43] Neil Gorsuch: "Justice Scalia was a lion of the law." - [02:19] Neil Gorsuch: "A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge." - [01:20] Neil Gorsuch: "I pledge that if I am confirmed, I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the constitution and laws of this great country." ## Questions this video answers - Who did Trump nominate to the Supreme Court? [00:37] - Why did Trump say a vacancy existed on the Supreme Court? [00:00] - What qualities did Trump say the nominee has? [00:57] - What does Gorsuch say the role of judges is? [02:11] - What does Gorsuch pledge if confirmed? [01:20] - How does Gorsuch describe Justice Scalia? [01:43] ## Content suitability - death [00:00-00:02]: Refers to the sudden passing of Justice Scalia. - politics [00:00-03:09]: Entire video concerns a Supreme Court nomination and confirmation.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Mar 7, 2017 10:05 PM UTC President Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch, a federal judge in Colorado with a similar writing style and outlook on the Constitution as the late Justice Antonin Scalia.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Mar 7, 2017 10:05 PM UTC More than 150 of [Neil Gorsuch](http://time.com/4653790/donald-trump-neil-gorsuch-supreme-court/?iid=sr-link1)‘s former classmates at Columbia University, both Democrats and Republicans, have written a letter supporting his nomination to the Supreme Court. [The letter](http://www.confirmgorsuch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NMG-Letter-Final-Mar.-7-2017.pdf), sent this week to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Ia) and ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca) and provided exclusively to TIME, recounts Gorsuch’s academic achievements and his genial presence on campus. “On campus, Neil was an upstanding person and a devoted friend; a man of unyielding integrity, faith in our institutions and unfailing politeness,” the letter says. “For his kindness and down-to-earth persona, we often joked that he was a modern-day Jimmy Stewart.” Gorsuch graduated from Columbia in 1988, before heading off to Harvard Law School and then Oxford University for a philosophy degree. (“His academic credentials … are as good as I have ever seen,” President Trump said when he nominated him to the position.) The letter mentions Gorsuch founding _The Federalist Paper_ at Columbia, which published conservative viewpoints on campus, and graduating Phi Beta Kappa. It says, “So special were his intellect, academic record and character that even then — some thirty years ago — there was a shared sense that he was poised for a meaningful and purposeful future.” And the letter notes some qualities particularly germane to Gorsuch’s potential seat in the nation’s highest court. “The hallmark of Neil Gorsuch’s tenure at Columbia was his unflagging commitment to respectful and open dialogue on campus,” the letter states. “Despite an often contentious environment, Neil was a steadfast believer that we could disagree without being disagreeable. To be sure, he could deliver a devastating argument, laden with carefully researched facts and presented in a crisp and organized manner. Yet he was always a thoughtful and fair-minded listener who would not hesitate to re-evaluate his own beliefs when presented with persuasive arguments.” The missive stresses the diversity of its 154 signatories, perhaps a strategic nod to [Democrats](http://time.com/4663815/neil-gorsuch-democrats-senate-vote/?iid=sr-link1) who have demanded a “mainstream” Supreme Court pick. “Among us are CEOs and stay at home parents, finance executives and professors, lawyers and doctors, writers and artists, actors and musicians, entrepreneurs and engineers, scientists and salesmen, a public company president and a public school principal,” the letter says. “We are of different faiths and ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents.” Gorsuch is set to begin [his hearings](http://time.com/4678691/republicans-neil-gorsuch-congress-nuclear-option/?iid=sr-link2) before the Judiciary Committee on March 20. ## Transcript [00:00] When Justice Kalia passed away suddenly last [00:02] February, I made a promise to the American people. If [00:07] I were elected President, I would find the very best [00:10] judge in the country for the Supreme Court. [00:16] I promised to select someone who respects our laws. [00:20] And is representative of our constitution, and who [00:24] loves our constitution. And someone who will interpret [00:28] them as written. Today, I am keeping another promise [00:32] to the American people by nominating Judge [00:37] Neil Gorsuch of the United States Supreme Court to be [00:41] of. The United States Supreme Court. I took the task of [00:45] this nomination very seriously. I have selected an [00:48] individual whose qualities define really, and I mean [00:52] closely define, what we're looking for. Judge Gorsuch [00:57] has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, [01:00] tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan [01:03] support. Mr. President, thank you very much. Mr. [01:08] President, Mr. Vice- President, you and your team [01:12] have shown me great courtesy in this process. And [01:16] you've entrusted me with a most solemn assignment. [01:20] Standing here in a house of history, and acutely aware [01:24] of my own imperfections. I pledge that if I am [01:27] confirmed, I will do all my powers permit to be a [01:30] faithful servant of the constitution and laws of this great [01:33] country. The towering judges that have served in this [01:35] particular seat of the Supreme Court, including Anton [01:39] Scalia and Robert Jackson, are much in my mind at this [01:43] moment. Justice Scalia was a lion of the law. [01:48] Agree or disagree with him, all of his colleagues in the [01:51] bench shares his wisdom and his humor, and like them [01:56] I miss him. I consider the United States Senate the [01:59] greatest deliberant body in the world and I respect the [02:02] important role the constitution affords it in the [02:05] confirmation of our judges. I respect too the fact that in [02:09] our legal order, it is for Congress and not the courts to [02:11] write new laws. It is a role of judges to apply not alter [02:15] the work of the people's representatives. A judge who [02:19] likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad [02:22] judge. [ LAUGH ] Stretching for results he prefers [02:26] rather than those the law demands. I am [02:30] so thankful tonight for my family, my friends, and [02:36] my faith. These are the things that keep me grounded [02:40] at life's peaks and that sustained me in its valleys. [02:44] To Louise, my incredible wife and companion Of 20 [02:48] years. My cherished daughters who are watching on [02:51] TV. [ LAUGH ] And all my family and friends. I [02:56] cannot thank you enough for your love and for your [02:59] prayers, I could not attempt this without you. Mr. [03:03] President, I am honored and I humbled. Thank [03:08] you very much. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/"},"headline":"Neil Gorsuch's Columbia Classmates Wrote a Letter of Support For His Supreme Court Nomination","datePublished":"2017-03-07T22:05:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T07:19:39.457Z","description":"More than 150 of Neil Gorsuch's former classmates at Columbia University wrote a letter supporting his Supreme Court nomination","url":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/","keywords":["Supreme Court","Congress","onetime","Neil Gorsuch"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba03a67dbeb0746/6988bb54097b900e949b8fcd/gorsuch2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba03a67dbeb0746/6988bb54097b900e949b8fcd/gorsuch2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Neil Gorsuch","caption":"Neil Gorsuch","creditText":"Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/supreme-court/","name":"Supreme Court"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/","name":"Neil Gorsuch's Columbia Classmates Wrote a Letter of Support For His Supreme Court Nomination"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch For Supreme Court","description":"President Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch, a federal judge in Colorado with a similar writing style and outlook on the Constitution as the late Justice Antonin Scalia.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EA1urb8K/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-02-01T01:58:53.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EA1urb8K.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/","duration":"PT3M9S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4694153/neil-gorsuch-columbia-classmates-supreme-court/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```