Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson Prepares for Senate Approval

Supreme Court historical pick Ketanji Brown Jackson by President Biden is preparing for her confirmation to serve on the highest court in the United States. In this, a long-awaited 223-year history is made in the United States as he is following through on a campaign pledge to officially nominate the first Black woman federal judge to serve on the Supreme Court on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, according to The Washington Post.

What To Expect

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Typically, Supreme Court Justices are selected through a nomination from the President for a vacancy spot on the Court. Consecutively after this, the Senate decides to vote to confirm that nominee. This vote requires a simple majority from the Senate.

Overall, both executive and legislative branches of government have jurisdiction informing the justices on the Court, according to The Supreme Court of the United States.

Jackson will be replacing Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who announced in a previous month his retirement. The retirement will occur when the court term ends this summer of 2022. There is a determination by Democrats the move swiftly to confirm Jackson. She was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by President Biden.

During an event located at the White House, President Biden stated that the nominee, Jackson, is someone who possesses “extraordinary character” and will deliver an “independent-minded, uncompromising integrity” to the Supreme Court. Following the introduction of Jackson, she proclaimed that the United States is the “greatest beacon of hope and democracy.”

In Jackson’s replacement of Breyer, she is said to be a “consensus builder.” In particular, she was given “bi-partisan approval from the Senate three times (two unanimously).”Furthermore, she has the sort of integrity and temperament that makes certain she will provide “thoughtful consideration” to each decision by following the law, according to the University of Colorado Boulder.

Setting a goal to confirm Biden’s nominee before the Easter recess by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-III) is scheduled to begin April 8, 2022. After that, she will appear before the Senate Approval Committee.

The Magnitude of This Supreme Court Nomination

The historical selection of Jackson would ultimately shift the gender balance of the Court with including four women justices. With four out of nine female justices on the Court, America would be better reflected, according to the University of Colorado Boulder.

With Jackson being a Black woman, conversations will be enriched and more inclusive in powerful and meaningful ways. In addition, research reveals that when people are brought together with various viewpoints and life experiences, higher quality analysis and better outcomes produce.

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Background

Jackson’s personal experience as a public defender adds to this nomination being a historical pick. Justice Thurgood Mashall’s serving in 1967 on the Court was the last time a Supreme Court Justice represented criminal defendants.

In addition, her experiences in law, including her experience serving on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, family members involved in law enforcement, and her uncle involved in the criminal justice system, provides Jackson the insight to take heed to the complex and challenging criminal law issues in the United States today, according to the University of Colorado Boulder.

Lastly, with Jackson’s openness about her background in addition to her “experience as a working mom, a child of parents who were public high school teachers, a person with family on both sides of the criminal justice system,” she becomes more relatable with some Americans.

I sought a nominee for the Supreme Court with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and an unwavering dedication to the rule of law. Meet my nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. pic.twitter.com/OndIJaGE74

— President Biden (@POTUS) March 7, 2022

Written by Ke’Lena Thomas
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

Supreme Court of The United States: FAQs – General Information
University of Colorado Boulder: 5 questions: Understanding the magnitude of Biden’s pick–Ketanji Brown Jackson; by Nicole Mueksch
The Washington Post: Biden introduces historic nominee Jackson, tapped to be first Black female justice; by John Wagner, Mariana Alfaro, Felicia Sonmez, and Eugene Scott

Featured Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of wp paarz’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License