Supreme Court of the United States
Brett Kavanaugh
Associate Justice
Biography
Brett Michael Kavanaugh is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since October 6, 2018. He was previously a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2006 to 2018.
Source: Wikipedia
Education & Career
Undergraduate
Yale University, A.B. in History (1987)
Law School
Yale Law School, J.D. (1990)
Prior Roles
- —Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (2006–2018)
- —Staff Secretary and Senior Associate Counsel to the President (2003–2006)
- —Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel (1994–1997)
Judicial Philosophy
Kavanaugh approaches cases with a focus on statutory text and precedent. He has emphasized the importance of judicial independence and has often sought consensus positions in high-profile cases. He has written extensively on separation of powers and executive authority.
Notable Opinions
Van Buren v. United States
2021
Narrowly interpreted the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, holding that an officer who accessed a computer for an improper purpose did not "exceed authorized access" under the statute because he was permitted to access the database in question.
Moore v. Harper
2023
Rejected the "independent state legislature theory," which would have given state legislatures unreviewable authority over federal elections free from state court oversight.
Moody v. NetChoice
2024
Vacated lower court decisions on laws restricting social media platforms' content moderation, instructing courts to conduct a more thorough analysis of the laws' facial constitutionality under the First Amendment.