In an historic development, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been elected to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court—the first African American woman to assume the role.
Jackson replaces Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his retirement in January.
According to a statement issued by the White House, Jackson is “one of the nation’s brightest legal minds and has an unusual breadth of experience in our legal system, giving her the perspective to be an exceptional justice”.
Born in Washington, DC, in 1970, Jackson grew up in Miami, Florida, the daughter of lawyers.
She has served as a federal judge on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2021.
Jackson has credited her love of the law back to sitting next to her father in their apartment as he tackled his law school homework—reading cases and preparing for Socratic questioning—while she undertook her preschool homework.
But like many Black women, Jackson still faced many challenges. When she told her high school guidance counsellor she wanted to attend Harvard, she was warned not to set her “sights so high”.
Despite this initial lack of encouragement, she went on to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard University, then attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated cum laude and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
She began her legal career with three clerkships, including one with the US Supreme Court. From 2007 to 2010, Jackson was of counsel at Morrison & Foerster where her practice focused on criminal and civil appellate litigation in both state and federal courts, as well as cases in the Supreme Court.
”It’s hard to think of a more qualified or more dedicated lawyer or jurist than Judge Jackson. She will bring her keen intellect and thoughtful perspective to the Supreme Court.”
Brian Matsui, Morrison & Foerster
Larren Nashelsky, chair of Morrison & Foerster, said: “We extend our warmest congratulations to Judge Jackson on her nomination to serve on the US Supreme Court. At the firm, she was a key contributor to our appellate and Supreme Court practice, advising and assisting clients on complex legal matters. She also lent her keen litigation skills to the firm’s pro bono programme where she helped people in need in important cases.”
Brian Matsui, a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice, worked closely with Jackson when she was an of counsel at the firm.
“It’s hard to think of a more qualified or more dedicated lawyer or jurist than Judge Jackson. She will bring her keen intellect and thoughtful perspective to the Supreme Court. It was a privilege to work with her—she always looked at the big picture, asked the right questions, and had a knack for picking up on nuances in a case that others might miss. She will be an outstanding justice,” he said.
Also welcoming the appointment, Cecilia Sanabria, partner-in-charge of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Finnegan, described the significance of the appointment as historic and “immeasurable”.
“The appointment highlights that representation of every American in our legal system, and in every one of the systems that governs the country is not only important, but also necessary and we must strive for it at every level, including and most significantly at the very top,” she said.
“The background, experiences and faces of those who serve to protect equal justice under the Constitution should reflect and represent the diversity of this country. Judge Jackson’s historical nomination is another reminder that in order to change history and achieve a more equitable future, we must be purposeful and intentional, particularly in the face of adversity,” concluded Sanabria.
Images, from top: Shutterstock.com / lazyllama
