Another Yalie on SCOTUS?

Yale Banner

View full image

In July, President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh ’87, ’90JD, to replace Anthony Kennedy as associate justice of the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Kavanaugh (seen here in his Yale Banner photo) will be the first Yale College graduate on the court since Potter Stewart ’37, ’41LLB, who retired in 1981. He will also be one of four Yale Law School alumni on the current court—joining Samuel Alito ’75JD, Sonia Sotomayor ’79JD, and Clarence Thomas ’74JD. (Harvard Law claims the other five, although Ruth Bader Ginsburg transferred to Columbia.)

Yale alumni and faculty, like the rest of the country, had varied reactions to the nomination. After the Law School issued a press release in which the dean and several faculty members praised Kavanaugh, a group of about 700 Law School alumni and faculty signed a letter objecting to the press release and making the case against Kavanaugh’s confirmation. About 300 people from the Yale community signed another letter in support of Kavanaugh.