The judge was appointed in January by President Joe Biden and is the first black woman to hold the position.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in this Thursday (June 30, 2022) at the United States Supreme Court. She is the first black woman to hold the position. Jackson was confirmed to the post in April, when the Senate voted 53 votes in favor of her nomination.
The judge was nominated in January by US President Joe Biden to take over the vacancy belonging to Stephen Breyer, an 83-year-old white man. Breyer had been nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1994 and was part of the liberal wing.
During the inauguration ceremony, the judge took a constitutional oath, administered by Justice John G. Robert, and a judicial oath, administered by Justice Breyer. With that, Jackson becomes the 116th judge and the 6th woman to hold a Supreme Court seat.
The judge takes office in the face of a moment of controversial decisions approved by the Court’s magistrates, such as the overturning of the decision on the Roe v Wade case, which guaranteed the right to abortion in the country.
Upon assuming the chair, the judge integrates a court composed of a conservative majority. It must evaluate decisions related to issues such as abortion and access to firearms. Currently, the judges of the Court are divided into:
“Liberals”
- Elena Kagan;
- Sonia Sotomayor.
“Conservatives”
- John G. Roberts;
- Clarence Thomas;
- Samuel A. Alito;
- Neil M. Gorsuch;
- Brett M. Kavanaugh;
- Amy Coney Barrett.
Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington DC and grew up in Miami, Florida. She is a former attorney for Stephen Breyer and, in June 2021, received a seat on the US Court of Appeals in the city of Columbia, in the State of South Carolina.
Jackson is 51 years old with over 8 years of experience in federal courts. She holds a law degree from the traditional Harvard University. Before taking up positions as a judge, she also worked as a federal public defender.
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