ACB: Her Role in the Supreme Court

Tabatha Criollo, Staff Writer

Amy Coney Barrett was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 28,1972. She attended Rhodes College for her Bachelor of Arts degree and later attended Notre Dame Law School on a full tuition scholarship and graduated first in her class. She became a professor at the Notre Dame Law school and taught civil procedures, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation. She is a devoted catholic and married to Jesse M. Barrett who is also a professor at the Notre Dame Law school and together they have seven children. Emma, Vivian, Tess, John Peter, Liam, Juliet, and Benjamin two of her children were adopted from Haiti, and the youngest child Benjamin has Down Syndrome and is taken care of by John Peter’s aunt.

President Trump nominated her to the Seventh Circuit on May 8, 2017 around the time he was elected for president and kept her name on the list of potential supreme court nominees.  Amy Coney Barrett is the fifth woman to serve on the court in its history. She is also the first mother to have school aged children. Personally, I believe that’s good thing. It shows woman can do anything even with children. Amy Coney Barrett has achieved a lot in her time, and she continues to show how much woman can accomplish especially working mothers.

Amy Coney Barrett, although receiving a lot of backlash from the public about her views of certain topics, argues that the court system should only be about interpreting law because that’s what the Supreme Court has to do. She states, “Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the people. The public should not expect courts to do so and courts should not try.” Judges have raised concern about her religious beliefs interfering with her governmental decision and she makes it very clear that there has to be a separation of religion and work and she does not intend on involving her religious beliefs in her job as a job she states, “My personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear on the discharge of my duties as judge.”

To conclude, Amy Coney Barrett has accomplished a lot in her time, and she continues to exceed her limits. While taking care of 7 children, she shows that a hard-working mother can do anything, and she makes it notable that all women can accomplish anything no matter the challenges. While you may or may not agree with Amy Coney Barrett’s opinions on topics, should that interfere with her having a seat on the supreme court?