As a second Trump administration approaches, we’re running out of time to confirm as many federal judges as possible to provide a check on his presidential power and curb his stated policy priorities.
There are 40 federal judicial vacancies and 16 nominations before the Senate right now—as our civil rights hang in the balance, take action now!
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.
