On Friday, President Biden fulfilled another nomination promise by recommending the name of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the post of Justice of the Supreme Court. This is a formal, historic nomination as she could become the first Black, woman judge in the highest court of the nation. Biden has chosen a qualified woman who is expected to get some bipartisan support, although it might not be necessary.

The White House released a statement on February 25, 2022 that described Judge Jackson as “one of the nation’s brightest legal minds.” It said that President Biden was looking for a nominee who would be similar to Justice Breyer who was described as wise and pragmatic and who also had a deep understanding of the Constitution.

The statement also included her broad experience as
a federal appellate judge
a federal district court judge
a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission
an attorney in private practice
a federal public defender.

It also mentioned that Judge Jackson is currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. It must be noted that she received bipartisan support for this nomination as well as for earlier ones.

Only five women have sat in the Supreme Court in the long history of the nation. They include
Sandra Day O’Connor
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Sonia Sotomayor
Elena Kagan
Amy Coney Barrett.

Only two Black men–Thursgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas have sat on the bench. If Ketanji Brown Jackson is nominated by the Senate to serve as a Supreme Court Judge, she will be the first Black woman, third Black person and sixth woman to be appointed to the highest court of the nation in over two centuries.

Senate Democratic leaders hope to confirm Justice Jackson to the Supreme Court by mid-April. She has not only served under Justice Stephen Breyer but was also the front-runner to replace him after he announced his resignation.

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