5 Facts About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court comes at a critical time, as the conservative majority threatens to gut federal voting rights protections, undermine labor unions, and overturn essential abortion rights that have stood for half a century. It’s time to bring an accomplished judge with a stellar record and history of public service to the nation’s highest court. Judge Jackson’s dedication to fighting for human and civil rights and her deep commitment to equal justice make her eminently qualified to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

Here are five things to know about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson:

1. Upon confirmation, Judge Jackson would replace former Justice Stephen Breyer, the justice for whom she clerked from 1999 to 2000. Judge Jackson’s clerkship experience provided her with an insider’s view of the operations of the court, as well as deep knowledge of Justice Breyer’s consensus-building approach to the role of justice.
2. The Senate has confirmed Judge Jackson three times. She was confirmed to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in 2009. She received bipartisan support for her appointment to the District of Columbia Circuit Court in 2013 and unanimous support for her appointment to the District of Columbia District Court in 2021.
3. Judge Jackson currently sits on the District of Columbia Circuit Court, which is widely considered the second-most-important court in the United States. Multiple Supreme Court justices, including former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Justice John Roberts, served on the circuit court prior to their appointments to the Supreme Court.
4. Upon confirmation, Judge Jackson would not only have more experience than four of the current justices combined, but she would also be the first and only justice 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. As a 2020 report from the Center for American Progress outlined, judges with more diverse professional experience improve jurisprudence so that it better acknowledges people’s unique lived experiences. Judge Jackson’s experience as a public defender deepens her understanding of the U.S. justice system and how it touches people’s lives.
5. Judge Jackson has received numerous awards throughout her career. In 2021, Columbia University’s Law School awarded her its Constance Baker Motley Award for empowering women of color, “advancing the rights of people,” and demonstrating a “legacy of giving back to the community.” In her acceptance speech, Judge Jackson stated that “the responsibility” of being a judge means “doing the work that is necessary to protect the rule of law and to promote equality and justice for all.”

It is vital that the United States has fair-minded justices who are deeply committed to its principles of equality and justice for all. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s eminent qualifications represent her dedication to protecting and advancing human and civil rights. By confirming her to the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress would help ensure the court works for everyone.