Ketanji Brown Jackson has been nominated by President Joe Biden to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Should Jackson be confirmed, it would be a historic moment as she would be the first black woman to serve on the court. 

• “For too long our government, our courts, haven’t looked like America,” President Biden said during his official nomination of Jackson. “I believe it is time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation.”

• Jackson was confirmed last year to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit with bipartisan support—a fact that may prove beneficial to her SCOTUS confirmation. 

• Before serving on the US Court of Appeals, Jackson was appointed to the US District Court in DC by President Obama, and clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer from 1999 to 2000. 

Bipartisan Support

Jackson is related by marriage to former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. During her 2012 confirmation hearing, Ryan stated that “our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanji’s intellect, for her character, for her integrity, it is unequivocal,” reports the New York Times. He further called her "an amazing person” and “clearly qualified.” While Paul Ryan is no longer a sitting Congressperson, Jackson's ability to curry support from both sides of the aisle has not dimmed.

The Verdict

Since Jackson is replacing a fellow liberal justice, her confirmation hopefully won't hit too many roadblocks. That being said, her potential appointment would be a truly historical moment for the legal community and the nation.