Biden Nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court

Shreya Selvaraju, Horizon Editor-In-Chief| March 9, 2022

Shreya Selvaraju

Before her confirmation, Judge Jackson will be reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On Feb 25. 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the United States Supreme Court’s 116th Associate Judge. If elected, Jackson would fill the space left after Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement, maintaining the court’s 6-3 conservative to liberal ratio. Jackson would also be the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. 

Currently, Jackson serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, more commonly known as the DC Circuit. The DC Circuit, which is widely regarded as the second most important court in the United States, has seated many supreme court judges. A third of the current Supreme Court Justices, including John G. Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh, as well as past judges such as Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, served at the DC Circuit prior to being appointed to the Supreme Court. 

Jackson graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in government and attended Harvard Law School. During her time there, she served as editor of the Harvard Law Review. 

The nomination is not Jackson’s first experience with the Supreme Court. In 1999, Jackson worked as a law clerk for Justice Breyer while he served on the Supreme Court. 17 years later, after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, she was considered as a candidate for the Supreme Court by former President Barack Obama. 

When considering different candidates for nomination, President Biden sought out someone that was “wise, pragmatic, and has a deep understanding of the Constitution as an enduring charter of liberty,” according to a press release by the White House. 

Jackson has played an important role in law and the government, helping to shape federal sentencing policy. Through her unique experiences as a federal public defender and DC Circuit judge, Jackson could bring a new perspective to the Supreme Court. To be confirmed to the Supreme Court, Jackson must be confirmed by the Senate. 

Senate hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson will begin on March 16.