Neil Gorsuch has been sworn in as the 113th Supreme Court justice. He'll restore a conservative majority to the court, and he could start ruling on controversial issues as early as next week.
Gorsuch is a constitutional originalist. That means he doesn't think the meaning of the Constitution changes over time.
He's expected to weigh in on a number of Supreme Court cases in coming weeks.
Gorsuch will meet with the rest of the court on Thursday for his first private conference. That's where the justices decide whether or not to take a case.
Gorsuch could help decide if the court hears the case of a baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple because of religious reasons. Lower courts ruled the baker violated the law. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court has delayed its decision on whether or not to take the case.
Another case the court is considering hearing is a ruling in California that said the Second Amendment does not guarantee a right to concealed carry in public.
One case Gorsuch will weigh in on is whether a religious school in Missouri can get federal money for playground safety equipment. The state says its constitution bans public money from going to religious institutions. The court took the case 15 months ago and finally scheduled oral arguments for April 19. Experts think the delay could indicate the justices were evenly split on how they'd vote.
