AFJ Celebrates The Historic Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 25, 2022 – Today President Biden announced that he is nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. In doing so, Biden has honored his commitment to nominate the first-ever Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. 

Judge Jackson is an exceptionally qualified and talented jurist who will make the country proud during her years of service on the Supreme Court. She brings a demonstrated commitment to fairness, impartiality, and equal justice for all to the Supreme Court, as is evidenced both from her time on the D.C. District Court as well as her work as an attorney and member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.  

Judge Jackson currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which she was confirmed to in 2021 with bipartisan support. Prior to that elevation, she served on the District Court for the District of Columbia for eight and a half years, during which she wrote nearly 600 opinions. Combined with her experience serving as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, she has been through the Senate confirmation process a total of three times and has been twice confirmed without opposition. 

During her time on the Sentencing Commission, she worked to reform the unfair use of mandatory minimums, which disproportionately harm people of color. She also has experience representing low-income people accused of crimes as a public defender, bringing invaluable criminal defense experience to the Supreme Court that no justice has had since Justice Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991. 

Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement: 

“Today is an historic day. For the first time in the 233 years since our Constitution established the U.S. Supreme Court, the president has nominated a Black woman to serve as a justice on the highest court in the land. But this not just a milestone. In Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden has nominated a woman of incredible caliber and legal acumen. 

“Judge Jackson has already proven to this Senate how incredibly qualified she is. From her service as a public defender to her work on the Sentencing Commission to her record on the bench, she has proven her commitment to protecting the rights of all people, not just the wealthy and powerful.  

“At times throughout our nation’s history, the Constitution has been used to discriminate against both women and people of color. As we continue to form our more perfect union, we cannot underestimate the significance of entrusting a Black woman with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution for all Americans into the future. 

“We look forward to a swift confirmation process so we can soon say the words ‘Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.’”