Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since June 30, 2022. Nominated by President Joe Biden to succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, she made history as the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. She brings a unique background to the bench as a former federal public defender and a voice for the court’s liberal minority.
Personal Background:
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- Born: September 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C., and raised in Miami, Florida.
- Education: Earned both her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude and Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard University.
- Clerkships: Clerked for Judge Patti B. Saris, Judge Bruce M. Selya, and eventually Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Legal and Judicial Career:
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- Public Defense & Commission: Served as an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C., and later worked as the Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
- District Court: Appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama, serving from 2013 to 2021.
- Appellate Court: Appointed by President Joe Biden to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, serving from 2021 until her elevation to the Supreme Court.
Judicial Philosophy and Notable Stances:
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- Methodological Transparency: Rejects rigid ideological labels but describes her approach as looking at the constitutional text, its original public meaning, and the intent of the framers through a holistic, historical lens.
- Criminal Justice Reform: Draws heavily on her public defender and Sentencing Commission experience to advocate for fairness, proportionality, and statutory clarity in criminal sentencing.
- Active Engagement: Known as one of the most vocal questioners during Supreme Court oral arguments, frequently probing the real-world implications and structural boundaries of constitutional law.
