On Friday 25th, 2022, President Joe Biden announced to the media that he had selected Ketanji Brown Jackson, as the first Black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court. According to the White House, President Biden conducted a “rigorous” process to fill the seat of Justice Breyer’s replacement. The President took into consideration the Constitution’s requirements to make his nomination “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate,” ensuring he receives advice from both parties in the Senate. In addition, during his search for a new Supreme Court Justice, President Biden studied the histories and case records of potential candidates and conferred with legal experts. Furthermore, a priority for the President was to assign someone who was exceptionally qualified with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the age of 51, currently holds a seat in D.C.’s federal appellate court. Judge Jackson was born in Washing D.C. but was raised in the Miami area. During her high school career, she was a member of the debate team at Miami Palmetto Senior High. After high school, Judge Jackson attended Harvard for her undergraduate degree as well as her law degree. Furthermore, her parents are both public school teachers and administrators. Although despite her qualifications, similar to other Black women in America, she was faced with doubts about her ability to reach a higher potential. For instance, Judge Jackson was advised in high school to not apply to Harvard because that would be aiming too high.
However, Ketanji Brown Jackson is proving to those who doubted her ability wrong with her nomination. Now being nominated, she awaits confirmation by the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority. After her confirmation, the Judiciary Committee will evaluate and hold confirmation hearings with Judge Jackson. Then if the committee approves the confirmation the final vote moves to the Senate floor.
Thus, if approved, Judge Jackson would be the sixth woman to serve on the Supreme Court, along with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. It is almost unbelievable that the United States has only had five women serve on the Court compared to how many white men have been continuously nominated. Women over the years have been just as qualified as men to be nominated but were never given a chance because of their gender. Even when nominated, women are asked by the Judiciary Committee, “who does the laundry in your home,” which is beyond irrelevant and does not showcase their ability to do the job. All in all, the need for more women on the Supreme Court is long-awaited and must continue.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group Blog. If you are in need of legal help, the CIMA Law Group is a law firm in Phoenix, Arizona which possesses expertise in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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