Story highlights The new justice is settling into his first few weeks on the bench

But he's decided to buck a Supreme Court tradition

Washington (CNN) Justice Neil Gorsuch appears undaunted by the tsunami of work facing his chambers as he settles into his first few weeks on the bench and attempts to catch up during the last months of the term.

The 49-year-old justice has decided to buck a Supreme Court tradition and decline to join the Court's so called "cert pool" -- a practice created to ease the workload in each chamber.

The pool exists so that participating justices can share their law clerks in an effort to deal efficiently with the nearly 8,000 new petitions the court receives each year from parties hoping the court will take up their case.

Currently seven justices take part in the pool -- where one clerk reviews an incoming petition, writes a recommendation for the court and distributes a memorandum to each chamber advising a grant or denial. Only Justice Samuel Alito, and now Gorsuch, have declined to participate.

A court spokesperson confirmed that Gorsuch has chosen to opt out, as first reported by the New York Times.

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