Gorsuch gets laughs at his first Supreme Court argument

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch came out swinging Monday in an inaugural oral argument that was seen as showing the rookie conservative’s considerable self-confidence — and some of his judicial inclinations.

It was the first time in more than 14 months in which nine justices heard arguments at the Supreme Court.

He was an exceptionally active questioner, displaying an easy familiarity with the issues in the three minor and technical cases before the court. He asked crisp and colloquial questions, and he kept asking them if he did not find the lawyers’ answers satisfactory.

The first case before the justices involved a procedural issue in a federal worker’s employment discrimination claim.

Justice Gorsuch asked lawyer Christopher Landau four questions in a row, saying he was “sorry for taking up so much time.”

Displaying a seamless blend of preparation, persistence and humor, Justice Gorsuch immediately cast himself into the center of a highly technical case.

Over the course of an hour, Justice Gorsuch’s performance