Supreme Court of the United States
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Associate Justice
Biography
Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is an American lawyer and jurist who is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn into office that same year. She is the first Black woman, the first former federal public defender, and the sixth woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
Source: Wikipedia
Education & Career
Undergraduate
Harvard University, A.B. in Government, magna cum laude (1992)
Law School
Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude (1996)
Prior Roles
- —Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (2021–2022)
- —Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (2013–2021)
- —Vice Chair, U.S. Sentencing Commission (2010–2014)
- —Assistant Federal Public Defender, Washington D.C. (2005–2007)
Judicial Philosophy
Jackson emphasizes the importance of the text, history, and tradition of legal provisions. She has also highlighted the role of statutory interpretation in ensuring that laws are applied as written by Congress. Her background as a public defender informs her perspective on criminal justice and constitutional rights of the accused.
Notable Opinions
Allen v. Milligan
2023
Joined the majority upholding a challenge to Alabama's congressional map under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, finding that the map likely diluted the voting power of Black Alabamians.
Peltola v. Gallagher
2024
Dissented from the Court's refusal to hear a First Amendment challenge to Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, arguing the case presented important constitutional questions warranting the Court's review.
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard
2023
Dissented from the ruling ending race-conscious admissions, arguing that the majority misread the Equal Protection Clause's history and that the Fourteenth Amendment was enacted precisely to address race-based inequality.