Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020, President
Donald Trump tapped Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement.
"She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect, sterling credentials,
and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution."
The conservative judge, based in Indiana, is already making headlines thanks to her
stark differences from Ginsburg, namely her views on abortion. But while we know a fair
amount about Amy, her career history, and her opinions, we don't know quite as much
about her husband, Jesse Barrett. Here's what we do know, though.
Like his wife, Jesse also has a history in the law field. He and Amy both went to the
University of Notre Dame, and Jesse also graduated from the Notre Dame Law School in 1999, according
to his bio on the school's website. While in school, he was the editor-in-chief of the
Notre Dame Law Review. After graduation, Jesse practiced law at a couple different places.
He practiced civil and criminal litigation and also served as the Assistant U.S. Attorney
in the Northern District of Indiana for more than a decade.
While in that post, Jesse prosecuted white-collar criminal cases, including commercial fraud,
corruption, and tax violations. After leaving, he went into private practice, currently at
SouthBank Legal. He's also an adjunct professor at Notre Dame Law School and coaches high
school mock trial events.
Jesse and Amy Coney Barrett live in South Bend, Indiana with their seven children, all
of whom are under the age of 20, which would reportedly make Barrett the first Supreme
Court Justice who is the mother to school-age children. Two are adopted from Haiti, and
one has special needs.
"Her incredible bond with her youngest child, a son with Down syndrome, is a true inspiration."
The family is also Catholic and part of a religious group called People of Praise. According
to the Times, quote, "The group teaches that husbands are the heads of their wives and
should take authority over the family."
Despite Jesse's impressive law résumé and his wife's public-facing career, the family
has largely stayed under the radar until President Donald Trump's decision to nominate Amy for
Supreme Court.
Amy spoke of Jesse during her nomination press conference on September 26th, 2020, saying,
"At the start of our marriage, I imagined we would run our household as partners. As
it has turned out, Jesse does far more than his share of the work."
"To my chagrin, I learned at dinner recently that my children consider him to be the better
cook."
She also called him a "superb and generous husband," and said that for 21 years, he has
checked in with her every day to ask about what he can do to make her life a little easier.
"And though I almost always say nothing, he still finds ways to take things off my plate."
Jesse Barrett's LinkedIn page boasts an impressive career history, with experience dating back
to 1999, when he began as a Judicial Law Clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals in Baltimore,
Maryland.
Despite his own notable career, Jesse had high praise for his wife in 2018, when Notre
Dame Law School hosted her investiture as a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit.
The event was one of praise for Amy, with Jesse noting that she was the first woman
from Indiana to serve as a judge at that level. His speech earned a standing ovation after
he spoke about her empathy and her gift for personal relationships. He cited her growing
career, their many relocations, and their seven children. He said,
"But there is one thing that hasn't changed — it is humbling to be married to Amy Barrett.
You can't outwork Amy. I've also learned you can't outfriend Amy."
Jesse hasn't just given high praise to Amy. He's also said wonderful things about his
children.
The oldest, Emma, was described by the couple as the first apple of their eye, according
to The Sun.
Jesse deemed his adopted daughter Vivian to be their "miracle," and called their daughter
Tess, who's the same age as Vivian, one of the most compassionate and determined people
that he knows.
The Barretts' son, John Peter, like Vivian, was also born in Haiti and joined the family
at age 3. As for the other two kids, Jesse described 8-year old Liam as a typically curious
child, and 6-year-old Juliet as spunky.
Then there's the youngest, Benjamin, who Jesse noted is the other childrens' favorite sibling.
When Donald Trump nominated Amy to the Supreme Court on September 26th, 2020, she joked about
her family size, noting that working in a group of nine judges would be an easy fit.
"The President has asked me to become the ninth Justice. As it happens, I'm used to
being in a group of nine: my family."
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