On February 25, 2022, President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She was born in Washington D.C and grew up in Miami, Florida. Both her parents attended historically black universities and spent their careers as teachers, soon to become administrators in the Miami-Dade Public School System. Jackson always was a high academic achiever. She was a bright student with big dreams. She was elected student body president of her school. Later in life, Jackson gained both her undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. She married Patrick G. Jackson, who she met when studying at Harvard.
Ketanji Brown Jackson became both the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and the first black woman to be nominated to the SCOTUS. She replaced former Justice Stephen Breyer, who she worked for. Working for him, she gained knowledge concerning operations in the court and a strong understanding of Justice Breyer’s approach to his role as a Justice. Judge Jackson currently sits on the District of Columbia Circuit Court, which is considered the second most important court in the United States. She has more experience than four of the current justice members combined. She would also be the first and only justice member with experience as a public defender. Judge Jackson served as an assistant public defender from February 2005 to June 2007 before returning to work in corporate law.
Not only is Judge Jackson incredibly skilled and knowledgeable, she has earned many awards and honors throughout her career. In 2021, she won the Constance Baker Motley Award and has empowered women of color everywhere. In 2020, she won Distinguished Visiting Jurist, the Third Annual Judge James B. Parsons Legacy Award, and has become associated with the Black Law Students Association. She has become involved in other associations such as the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section, Sentencing Task Force, American Law Institute, Council Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, Harvard Alumni Association, Harvard Black Alumni Society, Harvard Club of Washington, D.C., and more.
This nomination took time, as the effort to replace Justice Stephen Breyer was not an easy matter and resulted in political tension. Ketanji Brown Jackson is a qualified nominee with strong experience, probity, disposition, and dedication to the Constitution. The nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson changed history as a very important step toward making the Supreme Court look more like the nation as a whole.
Written by Ayza Siddiqi of Hallie Wells Middle School
Photo courtesy of Kevin Lamarque via Getty Images