Too Many Laws: Justice Gorsuch’s Missed Opportunity in “Over Ruled”

Justice Neil Gorsuch’s recent book, Over Ruled, raises an eyebrow—quite literally—over how excessive laws are bogging down the lives of everyday people. In a particularly compelling case, he discusses Ashish Patel, who bravely took on Texas’s licensing nightmare just to practice eyebrow threading. That’s right; a beautiful skill involving a simple loop of thread became a legal minefield requiring dozens of hours in cosmetology classes—classes that never even bothered to mention eyebrow threading! It’s a classic case of bureaucratic overreach.

While Gorsuch’s critique of “too much law” is spot on, he stumbles when it comes to diving into the relationship between federal courts and the flood of regulations. He conveniently skips discussing the “federal-style deference in economic matters,” which has allowed lawmakers to run wild without checks or balances. It’s a bit like arguing about a pizza while ignoring the mountain of grease it’s sitting in; it doesn’t quite hit the spot. Missing that piece makes his insights feel a little incomplete, like a donut without the hole.

The legal arena is tricky enough without people like Gorsuch dodging the deeper issues at play. Sure, he highlights a genuine concern about how laws can hinder personal freedom, yet he doesn’t address the role federal courts play in enabling the very same problems. Maybe he’d benefit from a moment of reflection—after all, courtroom dramas would get a lot more interesting if people were fighting over real issues instead of red tape! So what do you think? Should Gorsuch have gone deeper into judicial accountability, or was he right to focus on the individual stories?

About the Author

View All Posts