Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson
Fred Schilling / United States Supreme Court · Public domain · source
Name	Ketanji Brown Jackson
Office	Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Appointer	Joe Biden
Term start	June 30, 2022
Predecessor	Stephen Breyer
Birth date	May 14, 1970
Birth place	Washington, D.C.
Alma mater	Harvard University; Harvard Law School
Spouse	Patrick G. Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Before her appointment to the Supreme Court, she served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and worked as a federal public defender and a judicial clerk. Her nomination and confirmation marked several firsts and prompted extensive public and political discussion involving national institutions and leading figures.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Jackson grew up in neighborhoods shaped by local institutions such as Howard University Hospital and attended area schools near sites like Georgetown University and American University. She graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts and later earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where she studied alongside peers who later worked at firms connected to Covington & Burling, WilmerHale, and Ropes & Gray. During her time at Harvard, she participated in activities associated with organizations like the Harvard Crimson, the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, and clinics linked to the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

Legal career

After law school, Jackson clerked for Judge Bruce M. Selya of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and later for Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States, following a path similar to clerks who went on to serve at institutions such as Davis Polk & Wardwell and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She worked as an associate at firms including Mayer Brown and practiced at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia as a federal public defender alongside colleagues who later joined agencies like the Federal Public Defender Program and advocacy groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Jackson also served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission under appointments connected to the United States Senate confirmation process and collaborated with policy experts from think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Brennan Center for Justice.

Federal judicial service

Jackson was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate, joining a bench with judges such as Thomas F. Hogan and Reggie Walton. She presided over litigation involving federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency, issuing opinions that interacted with statutes like the Administrative Procedure Act and matters litigated by parties represented by firms tied to Gibson Dunn and Morrison & Foerster. President Joe Biden later nominated her to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she sat with jurists such as Patricia Millett and Sri Srinivasan before her elevation to the nation's highest court.

Supreme Court nomination and confirmation

President Joe Biden nominated Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States to fill the seat of Justice Stephen Breyer, initiating confirmation proceedings in the United States Senate Judiciary Committee chaired at the time by senators from both the Democratic Party (United States) and the Republican Party (United States). Her hearings featured questioning by senators including Chuck Grassley, Dianne Feinstein, Lindsey Graham, and Dick Durbin, and drew testimony and commentary from former clerks of Justices such as Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. Major media coverage flowed through outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Fox News, while advocacy organizations including the American Bar Association and civil rights groups such as the NAACP and the ACLU weighed in. The Senate confirmed her by roll-call vote, and she took the judicial oath administered in ceremonies attended by leaders from institutions like the White House and the United States Capitol.

Judicial philosophy and notable opinions

Jackson's judicial approach has been described in commentary by scholars from universities such as Yale University, Columbia University, and Stanford University and analyzed in law reviews published by journals linked to Harvard Law Review and the Columbia Law Review. Her opinions on the district and circuit courts addressed issues involving statutes like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and constitutional provisions found in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. She authored decisions on sentencing and criminal procedure engaging the United States Sentencing Commission guidelines and frequently cited precedent from cases argued before the Supreme Court of the United States by advocates from firms including Covington & Burling and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Commentators in publications such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and legal blogs tied to SCOTUSblog assessed her opinions for their textualist, purposivist, and precedent-respecting elements, noting influences from jurists like Stephen Breyer and dialogues with doctrines advanced by scholars at the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation.

Personal life

Jackson is married to Patrick G. Jackson, and they have two children who attended schools in the Washington metropolitan area near institutions like Georgetown Preparatory School and Sidwell Friends School. Her personal affiliations have included participation in community organizations and events associated with places such as Washington National Cathedral and cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. She has been recognized with honors from legal organizations including the National Bar Association and educational groups connected to Harvard University.

Category:Supreme Court of the United States justices Category:Harvard Law School alumni