What You Don't Know About Amy Coney Barrett's Husband
Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020, President Donald Trump tapped Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement. 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, data breaches, tax violations, insurance fraud, identity theft, mail and wire fraud, and public corruption," according to Inside Indiana Business. 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.
Amy Coney Barrett says husband Jesse is 'superb and generous'
Jesse Barrett and his wife, Amy Coney Barrett, live in South Bend, Ind., with their seven children. According to The New York Times, all seven children are under the age of 20, two are adopted from Haiti, and one has special needs. The family is also Catholic and part of a religious group called People of Praise. According to the Times, "Members of the group swear a lifelong oath of loyalty, called a covenant, to one another, and are assigned and are accountable to a personal adviser, called a 'head' for men and a 'handmaid' for women. 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 Sept. 26, 2020, saying, "At the start of our marriage, I imagined we would run our marriage as partners," but added that Jesse does more than his share of the work, despite also working long hours at his law practice. She also joked that their children consider him a better cook. She called him a "superb and generous husband," and said he checks in with her every day about how he can take things off her plate to make her life a little easier.
Jesse Barrett's praise of Amy Coney Barrett
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, Md. Despite his own notable career, Jesse (pictured above with his children) had high praise for his wife, Amy Coney Barrett, when Notre Dame Law School hosted her investiture "as a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit," in 2018 according to an article by The Law School of Notre Dame.
The event was one of praise for Amy, noting that she was the first woman from Indiana to serve as a judge on this level. But it was her husband's comments about Amy that gained special attention that day. Jesse's speech for his wife 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 of Amy. He's also publicly said wonderful things about his children.
Jesse Barrett has opened up about his seven kids
Jesse Barrett and Amy Coney Barrett have raised seven children together, and he spoke about them publicly in 2017. The oldest, Emma, was described as "the first apple of our eye," according to The Sun. Jesse deemed his daughter Vivian "our miracle," explaining, "She was born in Haiti. She came home when she was 14-months-old, and she weighed 11 pounds and she was so weak we were told she might never walk normally or speak. Today Vivian is a track star, and I assure you she has no trouble talking."
There's also Tess, who's the same age as Vivian. Jesse described her as "one of the most compassionate and determined people that I know." The Barretts' son was also born in Haiti and joined the family at age 3 after "a devastating earthquake." As for the other two kids, Jesse described them at the time as such: "Liam is 8. Typically curious 8-year-old. And Juliet is our spunky 6-year-old." Then there's the youngest, Benjamin. "He has special needs," Jesse explained. "That presents unique challenges for all of us. But... the other children unreservedly identify him as their favorite sibling."
When Donald Trump nominated Amy to the Supreme Court on Sept. 26, 2020, she joked about her family size, noting that working in a group of nine judges would be an easy fit. According to the Daily Mail, Amy said, "As it happens, I'm used to being in a group of nine: my family."