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In this moment, the future of our rights, our bodily autonomy, our freedom feels uncertain. What we do next will make a difference for decades to come.
Meet the Supreme Court Nominee: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
With the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden has fulfilled his promise to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
Judge Jackson brings a deep understanding of the laws of our country, particularly their impact women, girls, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. And her nomination is a vital step toward having a Court that better reflects the diversity and experiences of our country. Here’s what you need to know about Judge Jackson:
I wrote previously about Judge Jackson’s commitment to safeguarding civil rights and promoting equal justice.
Judge Jackson’s thoughtful, methodological approach to the law is evidenced in every decision. Her record shows careful consideration of the law and facts in each case. In Healthy Futures of Texas v. HHS and Policy and Research v. HHS, Judge Jackson blocked the government’s unlawful attempts to terminate federal teen pregnancy prevention funding to non-profits providing essential health education. She also protected the rights of federal employees to collectively bargain in American Federation of Government Employees v. Trump. Given her record, Judge Jackson has a reputation as a fair jurist who is committed to the rule of law.
Before becoming a federal judge, she served as Assistant Special Counsel, Commissioner, and Vice-Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She worked on bipartisan reforms to federal sentencing guidelines that disproportionately harm Black and brown people, and represented indigent criminal appellants before the D.C. Circuit as an Assistant Federal Public Defender. If confirmed, she would follow in the footsteps of former Justice Thurgood Marshall—the last Supreme Court Justice with notable experience in defending criminal defendants.
Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and will make history by bringing diverse legal professional and personal experiences to the Court. This is an important step in addressing generations of bias, racism, and under-representation that have kept Black women jurists from interpreting the laws that often impact them the most.
This historic nomination of Judge Jackson is critical for the future of gender justice, racial justice, and civil rights in our country. We urge the Senate to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson without delay.
