Meet... Samuel Alito

File Under: Biography

Here at TDI, we've done biographical for John Roberts, Harriet Miers, and Ben Bernanke. And now TDI is going to do it again for Samuel Alito. That's enough times to name it a "feature"... Say hello to "Meet", a biographical profile feature that looks at the person, not the politics (as much as applicable). Samuel Alito, as you may have heard by now, is President Bush's new nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, to fill Sandra Day O'Connor's seat. It's a very powerful position, and his decisions could affect laws that will impact us all. So, let's meet... Samuel Alito.

- Samuel A. Alito, Jr., was born on April 1, 1950 in Trenton, N.J. - Got his AB at Princeton in 1972, and his JD at Yale in 1975. He served as an editor on the Yale Law Journal. - Has a wife, Martha-Ann. They have a son in college, and a daughter in high school. - Alito's father, Samuel Alito Sr., was the director of New Jersey's Office of Legislative Services from 1952 until 1984. Alito Jr.'s sister, Rosemary, is a top employment lawyer in New Jersey.
- From 1977 until 1980, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the appellate division, where he argued cases before the Third Circuit court. - Had a job as the assistant to the U.S. solicitor general from 1981 until 1985. He argued 12 cases on behalf of the federal government in the U.S. Supreme Court, among countless other federal cases. - Alito served two years as a deputy assistant to the U.S. attorney general from 1985 until 1987. He provided constitutional advice for the Executive Branch. - After being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Alito became a U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey from 1987 until 1989. He is best known for prosecuting white collar and environmental crimes, drug trafficking, organized crime, and violations of civil rights. - Became Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1990 after being appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and continues to serve on the bench today. He was then also confirmed unanimously before the U.S. Senate. Before becoming a judge, he clerked for Judge Leonard Garth, who is now his colleague on the bench.
- Was a member of the advisory board of the New Jersey Federal Bar Association. He also served on the New Jersey State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Federalist Society.
- Has the nickname "Scalito", for being ideologically similar to Justice Antonin Scalia.
- If confirmed to the bench, it would be the first time the U.S. Supreme Court has a majority of Roman Catholics. Ironically, Alito was nominated on Protestant Reformation Day, the anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Catholic Church.
- Is described as very smart, a bit shy, but an excellent public speaker, and even funny. Does not "wear his politics on his sleeve."
- He is a frequent dissenter on the liberal Third Circuit court, and is described as very conservative. But his tone is described as "probing but always polite".
- Is described by U.S. News and World Report as "family oriented".


So far, immediate reaction to his nomination has been mostly positive. Of course, the real source for knowledge on where he'll stand on issues and how he'll rule will come in the confirmation hearings, which senators promise they can hold before the Christmas recess. And now you've met... Samuel Alito.