the ADULTS AT YALE LAW SCHOOL SHOW UP

Letter from Yale Students, Alumni, and Faculty in Support of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh

July 12, 2018

We write as students, alumni, and faculty proud of our alma mater. We join Yale Law School in its praise of distinguished Yale alumnus Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Judge Kavanaugh is eminently qualified to serve as a Supreme Court justice. Judge Kavanaugh, a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, is one of our nation’s most distinguished jurists. In his twelve years of service on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, he has demonstrated a principled approach to interpreting the law. He has reached legal conclusions free of political partisanship. Judge Kavanaugh has devoted his professional life to upholding the rule of law and our Constitution. . .

The letter goes on to note praise from Kavanaugh from a number of senior left-of-center figures on the faculty, like William Eskridge, Heather Gerken, and Akhil Amar:

We admire the Yale Law faculty who have spoken in support of Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications and commitment to the Constitution. Some selections of our faculty’s comments are below:

“I can personally attest that, in addition to his government and judicial service, Judge Kavanaugh has been a longtime friend to many of us in the Yale Law School community. Ever since I joined the faculty, I have admired him for serving as a teacher and mentor to our students and for hiring a diverse set of clerks, in all respects, during his time on the court.”
—Heather K. Gerken, Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law

“Judge Kavanaugh commands wide and deep respect among scholars, lawyers, judges, and justices.” “Good appellate judges faithfully follow the Supreme Court; great ones influence and help steer the Court. Several of Kavanaugh’s biggest ideas have found their way into Supreme Court opinions. Thanks to decades of high-level experience and close observation, Kavanaugh also understands the intricacies of the executive and legislative branches.”
—Akhil Reed Amar, YLS ‘84, Sterling Professor of Law

“Brett Kavanaugh has been one of the most learned judges in America on a variety of issues, ranging from theories of statutory interpretation to separation of powers.” “We are proud that he is our graduate and eager to continue to learn from his judicial opinions and scholarly publications.”
—William N. Eskridge, Jr., YLS ‘78, John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence

“Politics have deeply harmed our Supreme Court nomination process.” “But in terms of the man now before us, Brett Kavanaugh is a true intellectual–a leading thinker and writer on the subjects of statutory interpretation and federal courts; an incomparable mentor–someone who picks law clerks of all backgrounds and viewpoints; and a fair-minded jurist who believes in the rule of law. He is humble, collegial and cares deeply about the federal courts.”
—Abbe R. Gluck, YLS ‘00, Professor of Law

In our deeply polarized climate, these respectful, civil, and entirely accurate comments are a breath of fresh air.