In June, Justice Anthony Kennedy penned an emotional letter in June officially announcing his retirement from the United States Supreme Court.
Kennedy was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan in 1987, and took his seat on the bench in February 1988. After much speculation surrounding Kennedy’s replacement, on Monday President Donald Trump announced his pick to fill the seat vacated by kennedy: Brett Kavanaugh.
Despite being relatively young for a Supreme Court justice, Kavanaugh, 53, has a lengthy judicial record, penning over 300 opinions in his 12 years as a federal appeals court judge. This length paper trail gives senators a wealth of material to review over the course of the confirmation process.
Kavanaugh graduated from Yale Law School in 1990, and went on to work as a law clerk for several judges. Most notably, Kavanagh clerked for Kennedy–the justice he will now be replacing.
Kavanaugh is most known for his work in former President George W. Bush’s administration serving as associate counsel and staff secretary. Kavanaugh also played a key role in the Starr Report released in 1998 that urged the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
In 2003, Bush nominated Kavanaugh to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Kavanaugh’s confirmation was delayed three years by Democrats over concerns of partisanship, however he was sworn in on May 26, 2006.
Since 2006, Kavanaugh has built a reputation for being pro-life and pro-business judge as well as judge who believes in upholding the Constitution as it is written. He has also made statements about Presidents of the United States being free from investigations during their presidency.
Watch the video above for a brief introduction to Brett Kavanaugh.
