Indeed, the case wasn't scheduled for argument until after President Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch for the seat.
But the new justice was there, beaming as he and his colleagues took the bench, seemingly eager to prove he was ready for the job ― and every now and then reminding observers of the justice he replaced, Antonin Scalia. At issue was whether a federal employee who says he was a victim of discrimination should appeal his claims through the system for civil service appeals or before a federal district judge. He smiled as Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. briefly welcomed him and wished him "a long and happy career in our common calling".
The new justice took less than 15 minutes before asking questions during an employment discrimination case.
Democrats tried to block Gorsuch's nomination, but Republicans changed the Senate rules to keep the minority from being able to filibuster Supreme Court nominees.
Missouri's new governor, Republican Eric Greitens, injected some uncertainty into the high court case on Thursday, when he directed state agencies to allow religious groups and schools to receive taxpayer money for playgrounds and other purposes.
Gorsuch skipped last week's private conference, where justices consider which cases to accept and reject, so he could bone up on the cases the court is hearing this week and next, its last oral arguments of the current term, which ends in June. Justices often hear cases argued by their former law clerks or people from law firms where they once worked.
Canada says it's eager for talks after Trump criticism
American producers say the policy violates trade agreements and exacerbates a glut of milk on the American side of the border. Canada has had steep tariffs in place to bolster its own dairy industry, which have been allowed by NAFTA.
For all 856 cases in which then-judge Judge Gorsuch wrote an opinion, not just lead opinions, try "adv: WB (Gorsuch)".
"He remained focused ... as he asked a number of questions of counsel".
All eyes will be trained on the court's most recent addition, the 49-year-old Gorsuch, to see how he interacts with his new colleagues and to try to glean clues about his jurisprudence.
"That's not a trick question", he said during a complicated property rights dispute. But many other newcomers have sat silently and listened to the fast-moving arguments during their first weeks on the high court. He will also vote last when the cases are decided. When the time came, Gorsuch did not recuse himself; however, he did not have any questions for Katyal. One of the lawyers who will be arguing is Neal Katyal, who introduced Gorsuch at his confirmation hearing.
The third case involved a dispute over whether certain securities class-action lawsuits can be barred because they were filed too late.
Gorsuch previously served more than a decade on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, giving him considerable experience with oral arguments, albeit with a lower public profile and on panels that usually consisted of only three judges.
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