Ketanji Brown Jackson Sworn In As First Black Woman Of U.S. Supreme Court

Ketanji Brown Jackson swearing in

Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in on Thursday, June 30, 2022, making her the first black woman in history to serve as a Supreme Court judge.

Jackson, 51, joins the liberal bloc of a court with a 6-3 conservative majority.

Her swearing-in as President Joe Biden’s replacement for retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer came six days after the court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade landmark that legalized abortion nationwide.

Ms. Jackson will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, joining the court’s three-member liberal minority.

The appointment follows one of the most consequential Supreme Court terms in recent memory, with significant rulings on abortion and gun rights.

She said in a statement that she accepts “the solemn responsibility” of the role.

The former public defender joins the court at a tumultuous period in its history. The nine-member court is currently split between six Republican-appointed justices and three picked by Democrats.

In recent weeks it delivered several blockbuster decisions – overturning the 50-year-old Roe v Wade decision on abortion, striking down a New York law restricting gun-carrying rights, and limiting the US Environmental Protection Agency’s power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The lifetime appointment will likely see Ms Jackson on the bench for decades but will not shift the current ideological balance of the court.

The addition of Ms Jackson to the court means that its liberal minority – with Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor – will be made up entirely of women.

Mr Breyer congratulated his successor on Thursday, saying “Her hard work, integrity, and intelligence have earned her a place on this court.”

“I am glad for my fellow justices. They gain a colleague who is empathetic, thoughtful, and collegial,” he said.

US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, announced her nomination in February. In April, three Republicans crossed the aisle to seal her appointment in the US Senate.

Ms. Jackson, a Washington DC native, previously sat on the DC circuit’s influential US Court of Appeals.

She has two degrees from Harvard University and once served as editor of the Harvard Law Review. She worked as a public defender in Washington before joining a private practice prior to her judicial appointments.

Anu:

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