page_title: Amy Coney Barrett
section_title: Nomination and confirmation
hierarchical_section_title: Amy Coney Barrett / Federal judicial service / Nomination and confirmation
caption_attribution_description: English: Judge Barrett at her Investiture Ceremony.
context_page_description: Amy Coney Barrett is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Barrett is the first and only woman to occupy an Indiana seat on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Described as an "originalist" and a "textualist," Barrett's judicial philosophy has been likened to that of her late-mentor and former boss, Justice Antonin Scalia. Prior to her confirmation to the federal bench, Barrett was a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, where she taught civil procedure, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation. Barrett's scholarship focuses on originalism, statutory interpretation, and stare decisis. Barrett has been widely praised for her intellect by the likes of Professor Noah Feldman of Harvard who described her as "a truly brilliant lawyer" and claimed that Barrett was legally prepared enough to serve on the Supreme Court 20 years before she was confirmed to the Seventh Circuit.
  As a federal judge, Barrett continues to teach statutory interpretation at Notre Dame Law School. Barrett was added to President Trump's list of potential Supreme Court nominees after her confirmation in 2017.
context_section_description: President Donald Trump nominated Barrett on May 8, 2017, to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge John Daniel Tinder, who took senior status on February 18, 2015. Barrett was the first woman confirmed to the federal bench during President Trump's first term. 
  A hearing on Barrett's nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on September 6, 2017. During Barrett's hearing, Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein questioned Barrett about whether her Catholic faith would influence her decision-making on the court. Feinstein, concerned about whether Barrett would uphold Roe v. Wade given her Catholic beliefs, followed Barrett's response by stating "the dogma lives loudly within you, and that is a concern". In response to Feinstein's question, the conservative Judicial Crisis Network began to sell mugs with Barrett's photo on them and displaying the Feinstein "dogma" quote. Feinstein's line of questioning was criticized by some observers and legal experts while defended by others. The issue prompted questions regarding the application of Article VI, Section 3 of the Constitution which mandates: "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."  During her hearing, Barrett said: "It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions, whether they arise from faith or anywhere else, on the law."
  Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin asked Barrett whether she was an "orthodox Catholic" and criticized her prior use of the term, "saying it unfairly maligns Catholics who do not hold certain positions about abortion or the death penalty." Republican Senator Chuck Grassley stated "Professor Barrett is a brilliant legal scholar who has earned the respect of colleagues and students from across the political spectrum. She's also a committed Roman Catholic and has spoken passionately about the role that her faith plays in her life. This isn't inconsistent with being a federal judge."
  On October 5, 2017, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on a party-line basis of 11–9 to recommend Barrett and report her nomination to the full Senate. On October 30, 2017, the Senate invoked cloture by a vote of 54–42. The Senate confirmed her with a vote of 55–43 on October 31, 2017, with three Democrats – Joe Donnelly, Tim Kaine, and Joe Manchin – voting for her.  She received her commission on November 2, 2017.
caption: Judge Silberman, swearing in Judge Barrett at her investiture.
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