On Feb. 28, 2022, President Joe Biden officially nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson as a justice of the Supreme Court, after the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer created a vacant spot in the court.
The historical nomination follows a long lasting trend of increased diversity in the Supreme Court justices If the senate chooses to confirm Jackson’s nomination, she will become the first Black woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, fulfilling a promise made by Biden during his 2020 campaign to nominate a black woman if given the chance.
“It is time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation,” Biden told reporters after the announcement.
Apart from bringing the SCOTUS one step closer to fully representing the population that they serve, attorney and judge Ketanji Jackson boasts an extensive list of experience and qualifications. Jackson studied at Harvard University for both undergraduate and law school, and for a brief period in between worked as a staff reporter and researched for Time Magazine. She graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1996.
After graduating from law school, Jackson served as law clerk for several judges, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. She is also noted for being the first former federal public defender serving on the bench if her nomination is confirmed. Jackson acted as vice chair of the United States Sentencing committee following unanimous consent of her nomination by President Barack Obama. Several years later, in 2012, President Obama nominated Jackson for the United States District Court of the District of Columbia. Currently, she serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after being confirmed for the position by a 53-44 by the senate on June 14, 2021.
Although the members of the court are changing, the actual ideological balance will remain relatively the same with six conservative judges and three liberal. It is commonly believed that Jackson is as liberal as Justice Breyer who she is replacing. Supporters of Jackson cite her experience as a public defender as expertise on dealing with issues such as criminal justice reform, while critics have labeled this aspect for her qualifications as a liability.
Article by Steven Wang of Montgomery Blair High School
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia