In 2020, US Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett

became the fifth woman to serve on the country’s highest court. The daughter of a lawyer and a high school teacher, Coney Barrett grew up with an interest in the law. Her parents and teachers encouraged her and taught her that girls could do anything boys could do. Coney Barrett has carried that lesson with her throughout her life.

Education and Early Career

After earning a bachelor of arts degree in English literature in 1994, Coney Barrett attended Notre Dame Law School. She graduated in 1997 and clerked for Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Coney Barrett and Scalia shared a conservative judicial philosophy. She went on to work in private practice and as an assistant professor at Notre Dame.

Judicial Appointments and Recent Developments

In 2017, Coney Barrett became a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Three years later, President Donald Trump nominated Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Explore the life and career of the newest member of the highest court in the United States.