Ketanji Brown Jackson: who is first Black female justice in US Supreme Court - what were Senate vote results?

President Joe Biden said that Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation represents ‘another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America’
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The US Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court.

Her appointment was described by US President Joe Biden as a “historic moment for our nation”.

This is everything you need to know.

Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ketanji Brown Jackson (born Ketanji Onyika Brown) is an American attorney and jurist who has served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2021.

She was born on 14 September 1970 in Washington, D.C., to parents Johnny and Ellery. She grew up in Miami, Florida, and attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School, graduating in 1988. During her time in high school, Jackson was a speech and debate star who was elected “mayor” of the junior and senior high school.

Ketanji Brown Jackson has graduated from Harvard twice - once in 1992 from Harvard University and against in 1996 from Harvard Law School (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)Ketanji Brown Jackson has graduated from Harvard twice - once in 1992 from Harvard University and against in 1996 from Harvard Law School (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Ketanji Brown Jackson has graduated from Harvard twice - once in 1992 from Harvard University and against in 1996 from Harvard Law School (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

When Jackson’s name first started cropping up on the lists of candidates to potentially replace the retiring Justice Stephen G Breyer, a picture of Jackson from her senior yearbook started making the rounds.

In the yearbook, she is quoted as saying: “I want to go into law and eventually have a judicial appointment.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After high school, Jackson enrolled at Harvard University, studying government, where she graduated in 1992 with an A.B magna cum laude.

From 1992 to 1993, Jackson worked as a staff reporter and researcher for Time Magazine before attending Harvard Law School, where she served as Supervising Editor of the Harvard Law Review. She graduated in 1996.

What has her professional career been like?

According to her United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees, Jackson’s professional career timeline goes as follows:

  • 1992 - 1992, staff reporter/researcher at Time Magazine
  • Summer 1994, summer associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP
  • Summer 1995, summer associate at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin LLP
  • 1996, intern at Law Office of Nan Elder, J.D
  • Summer 1996, summer associate at Ropes & Gray LLP
  • 1996 - 1997, law clerk for the Honourable Patti B Saris at the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • 1997 - 1998, law clerk for the Honourable Bruce M Selya at the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • 1998 - 1998, Associate at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin LLP
  • 1999 - 2000, law clerk for Associate Justice Stephen G Breyer at the Supreme Court of the United States
  • 2000 - 2002, Associate at Goodwin Procter LLP
  • 2002 - 2003, Associate at The Feinberg Group, LLP
  • 2003 - 2005, Assistant Special Counsel at the United States Sentencing Commission
  • 2005 - 2007, Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Officer of the Federal Public Defender
  • 2007 - 2010, Of Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP
  • 2010 - 2022, Vice Chair and Commissioner at the United States Sentencing Commission

In 2012, Jackson was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to be a district court judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia, which she was confirmed for with bipartisan support in 2013.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on 22 March 2022 (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on 22 March 2022 (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on 22 March 2022 (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She was also nominated by Obama to serve as the Vice Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission in 2009, for which she was confirmed in 2010.

While many of Jackson’s soon to be fellow sitting justices on the high court have served in prosecutorial roles prior to being named to the bench, she will be the only member of the Supreme Court to have served as a public defender - and the first to have significant experience as a criminal defence attorney since Thurgood Marshall in 1967.

Is she married?

Jackson married her husband Dr. Patrick Graves Jackson, a surgeon, in 1996, after the pair met whilst they were in college together. Dr Jackson is a surgeon at MedStar Georgetown University hospital.

Jackson gave a number of shoutouts to her family as they sat throughout the almost 22 hours of questioning she faced in her confirmation hearings.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking of her husband, Jackson said: “I have no doubt that, without him by my side from the very beginning of this incredible professional journey, none of this would have been possible.”

Ketanji Brown Jackson looking to her husband Patrick Jackson and daughter Leila Jackson after the end of the third day of her confirmation hearing (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Ketanji Brown Jackson looking to her husband Patrick Jackson and daughter Leila Jackson after the end of the third day of her confirmation hearing (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Ketanji Brown Jackson looking to her husband Patrick Jackson and daughter Leila Jackson after the end of the third day of her confirmation hearing (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Jackson and her husband have two daughters together, Leila and Talia.

She also addressed her daughters in her opening statement, saying: “Girls, I know it has not been easy as I have tried to navigate the challenges of juggling my career and motherhood.

“And I fully admit that I did not always get the balance right. But I hope that you have seen that with hard work, determination, and love, it can be done.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I am so looking forward to seeing what each of you chooses to do with your amazing lives in this incredible country.”

When was she confirmed to sit on the US Supreme Court?

On 7 April 2022, Jackson’s nomination to become the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court was confirmed by a bipartisan group of Senators.

Brown was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Statements from Sens Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney all said the same thing — they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job.

She will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court.

US President Joe Biden and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson watched the Senate vote on her nomination to be an associate justice on the US Supreme Court, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on 7 April 2022 (Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)US President Joe Biden and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson watched the Senate vote on her nomination to be an associate justice on the US Supreme Court, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on 7 April 2022 (Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson watched the Senate vote on her nomination to be an associate justice on the US Supreme Court, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on 7 April 2022 (Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brown will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Amy Coney Barrett – meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history.

Her confirmation fulfils President Biden’s 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice.

Once sworn in, Jackson, 51, will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, who is 50. She will join a court on which no-one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years.

Before the final vote to confirm Jackson, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said: “Today, we are taking a giant, bold and important step on the well-trodden path to fulfilling our country’s founding promises.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is a great moment for Judge Jackson. But it is an even greater moment for America as we rise to a more perfect union.”

Biden also posted on Twitter after her confirmation, writing: “Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible justice, and I was honoured to share this moment with her.”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.