Podcast

Law360's Pro Say: Who Is Brett Kavanaugh?

(July 13, 2018, 8:42 PM EDT) -- The political battle lines are already forming in Washington, D.C., over President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. But who is the man himself? This week on Law360's Pro Say podcast we attempt to answer that, from Kavanaugh's resume to his biggest rulings, his writing style and his judicial philosophy. 

Each week on Pro Say, Law360 staffers Amber McKinney, Bill Donahue and Alex Lawson bring you inside the newsroom and break down what you need to know about key legal developments.

The 53-year-old Kavanaugh — who graduated from Yale and clerked for Justice Kennedy before spending 12 years on the D.C. Circuit — has built a reputation on the nation's second highest court for fighting government overreach, making him a favorite of the Republican legal establishment. 

This week we're taking a deep dive into the judge's history, from the time he spent working on Kenneth Starr's independent counsel investigation of President Bill Clinton, to his D.C. Circuit nomination in 2006.

We'll also dig into Kavanaugh's judicial philosophy, his writing style and some of his most significant opinions, including a 2015 dissent in favor of religious employers who claim the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate was too burdensome, as well as his strongly worded opinion that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was unconstitutional.

And don't miss our take from Washington, as Law360 senior Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover stops by the show for a discussion on what to expect from Judge Kavanaugh should the Senate confirm his nomination. 

Find more information about all of our episodes here. You can also subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher. Just search for "Law360" to find the show. We'd love to hear from you; please leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher to help others find the show.


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