About this episode

This episode explores the early years of Justice Neil Gorsuch and his path to the Supreme Court.

Our friends over at the Slate podcast Slow Burn are good at taking events that we think are settled history, then unlocking a new understanding of those stories through interviews, archives, and fresh analysis. They’ve reexamined Supreme Court history several times in recent years, including a new season about Neil Gorsuch we’re featuring on Amicus for the next three weeks. Becoming Justice Gorsuch explores the early years of Donald Trump’s first high-court appointee and his precedent-shattering path to power. It’s a must-listen if you want to understand this 6-3 Roberts court, how it came to be, and where it’s headed.  In Episode 1, you’ll hear how Gorsuch’s worldview was shaped by his iconoclastic mother, his reaction to life on a liberal college campus, and young conservative movements of the 1980s. You’ll also hear a familiar voice, with Slow Burn host Susan Matthews interviewing Amicus co-host Mark Joseph Stern. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Joseph Stern

Guest: Susan Matthews

Topics covered

• Supreme Court history
• Neil Gorsuch
• conservative movements
• legal analysis
• Trump administration

Keywords

• Neil Gorsuch
• Supreme Court
• Trump
• legal analysis
• conservatism
• Slow Burn
• Amicus

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slate, Slow Burn, Acast, Slate Plus

More episodes of Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

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• Becoming Justice Gorsuch | 3. A Lunch Room for Life · August 29, 2026 · 56 min
• Becoming Justice Gorsuch | 2. The Stolen Seat · August 22, 2026 · 47 min
• By the People | Now It’s Your Turn · August 8, 2026 · 55 min
• By The People | Two Steps Forward, One Step Back · August 1, 2026 · 46 min
• By the People | For the Children · July 25, 2026 · 41 min

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