WASHINGTON - Justice Neil Gorsuch thanked his former law clerks, family and friends as he was sworn into the Supreme Court during a White House ceremony.
Gorsuch said of his former law clerks, "your names are etched in my heart forever."
The new justice joined President Donald Trump, members of the nation's high court and his family for a Rose Garden ceremony.
Gorsuch thanked his family for their "perseverance and patience" and his mentor, Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom he served as a law clerk. Gorsuch promised to be a "faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great nation."
President Trump said Gorsuch will rule "not on his personal preferences but based on a fair and objective reading of the law." The president is predicting Gorsuch will go down as "one of the truly great justices" in the court's history.
The 49-year-old appeals court judge from Colorado was being sworn in after a bruising fight that saw Republicans change the rules for approving Supreme Court picks - over the fierce objection of Democrats.
The first ceremony took place privately in the Justices' Conference Room, with Chief Justice John Roberts administering the oath required by the Constitution.
Gorsuch Sworn in, Pledges to be 'Servant' of Constitution
Evan Vucci
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Associated Press
