By JTFactsMax

Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed to Supreme Court

The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. She is the first Black woman to serve on the High Court and the first federal public defender to hold that position. Her confirmation was a bipartisan vote. All 50 Democratic senators voted in support of Jackson. Three Republicans — Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah — crossed party lines to support Judge Jackson, lending a modicum of bipartisanship to an otherwise bitterly polarized process. Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the vote. The Senate confirmed Jackson to the Court on a 53-47 vote.

Born in Washington, D.C., Amy Jackson was raised in Miami, Florida. She attended Harvard University and served on the Law Review. After graduating, she began her legal career, serving in three clerkships, including one with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. She served as district judge for the District of Columbia from 2013 to 2021, and she was vice-chair of the United States Sentencing Commission from 2010 to 2014. She is also a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers since 2016.

Democrats and Republicans alike are divided over the nomination of the First Female Black Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. While Democrats laud her legal record and point to her history of sentencing people for crimes, Republicans have raised concerns about her past decisions on child pornography cases. However, Democrats point to her record of presiding over more than 500 cases. Republicans argue that she will take a leftward turn on the Court, whereas Democrats say her record is consistent with other justices. In contrast, Republicans criticized her judicial philosophy. She described it as a "multi-step approach" to deciding cases. She also declined to take a position on adding seats to the Supreme Court; a point Democrats seized upon. Her nomination was met with stiff opposition from Republicans, particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Even Cruz's demagoguery was topped by  Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who charged that Jackson might have wanted to defend the Nazi leaders tried at Nuremberg for war crimes following World War II. 

The decision is essential as the Court is about to rule on cases involving the constitutionality of abortion and the expansion of gun rights. Democrats have praised Jackson's judicial history, but Republicans have criticized her judicial record, calling her a "soft touch" on crime. Judge Jackson has already said that she will recuse herself in some cases.

The confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court was long-awaited. The legal profession has historically failed to include members of traditionally marginalized communities. Ten years ago, Black attorneys made up only 5 percent of active lawyers. With Jackson's confirmation, the legal profession will hopefully reflect more accurately the diversity of its ranks. Black women lawyers are hopeful that Jackson's appointment will help demonstrate just how far the profession has come.