Neil Gorsuch testifies at his confirmation hearing to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice in March 2017. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ NLJ

The book-writing bug has bitten U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, as it has with several of his colleagues.

Crown Forum, an imprint of Random House, announced Wednesday that a book by Gorsuch titled “A Republic, If You Can Keep It,” will be published in September. Gorsuch is writing the book with the assistance of two of his former law clerks—David Feder and Jane Nitze.

Described as “a rich collection of reflections from the youngest U.S. Supreme Court justice,” the book will include eight original essays as well as a collection of Gorsuch speeches and writings. “Gorsuch shares personal stories that have shaped his life and outlook, from his upbringing in Colorado to his 2017 Supreme Court confirmation process,” the news release stated.

In a statement, Gorsuch explained the title and theme of the book:

“This book is about my faith in America and our Constitution. When Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, he was reportedly asked what kind of government the founders would propose. He replied, 'A republic, if you can keep it.' This book shares personal reflections, speeches, and essays from over the course of my career that focus on the remarkable gift the framers left us in the Constitution and the responsibility we all share to ensure it remains strong for generations to come.”

Feder, who clerked for Gorsuch in 2017 and 2018, declined to comment on his role in producing the book. Feder is an associate at Jones Day in Los Angeles.

Credit: Crown Forum, an imprint of Random House

Nitze clerked for Gorsuch when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and went on to clerk for Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She clerked again for Gorsuch during his first term in office in 2017. Last year, she was appointed by President Donald Trump to be a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

During her Senate confirmation process for that position in May 2018, Nitze said she had served as an “independent contractor” to Gorsuch since October 2017. She said her role was to “assist Justice Gorsuch on research and writing projects unrelated to his official duties.” She could not be reached for comment.

As a book author, Gorsuch will join Justices Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor who have written one or more books while they were justices. In 2006, Gorsuch wrote a book titled “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.”

On a financial disclosure released last year, Gorsuch recorded receiving $9,020 in royalties from Princeton University Press, which published his book. “The front cover looks almost like a Tom Clancy novel, with purple all-caps block text set against a black background. But the book itself is a deep, highly cerebral overview of the ethical and legal debate surrounding the practices,” The Washington Post reported in 2017.

Before he joined the Supreme Court, Gorsuch was touted as an excellent writer. But in his early days as a justice, critics said some of his opinions were written in convoluted or esoteric prose, giving rise to the hashtag #GorsuchStyle.

 

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