Ketanji Brown Jackson to Be Sworn in Today
Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring today and will swear his former law clerk in his replacement.
NPR (“Ketanji Brown Jackson to be sworn in as first Black woman on the Supreme Court“):
Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in Thursday at noon as the 116th Supreme Court justice and the first Black woman to serve on the high court.
Biden nominated Jackson in February, fulfilling a campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.
“It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, but we’ve made it! We’ve made it — all of us,” Jackson said in remarks at a White House event the day after the Senate vote.
“I have dedicated my career to public service because I love this country and our Constitution and the rights that make us free,” Jackson also said.
Jackson, 51, has been confirmed since April, when the Senate voted 53 to 47 on her nomination. It was expected she would replace 83-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer — whom she clerked for after she graduated from Harvard Law School in 1996 — when he stepped down. His retirement will be effective Thursday.
Jackson will take two oaths during the livestreamed event: a constitutional oath, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, and a judicial oath, administered by Breyer.
This is obviously just a formality, making official what we’ve known was coming for months. Still, an important milestone worth noting.
*AKA Sleepytown U
Pity she’s joining the worst court since the Taney court.
@Michael Reynolds: Agreed. This year’s decisions have been a total sh!tshow. Good thread here summarizing how bad this year was.
I’m hoping that she’ll be there for a long time–long enough that the court will look much different eventually.
@Michael Reynolds: I’m really glad Justice Jackson has made it to SCOTUS, but all she’ll be able to do is rearrange the deck chairs.
I was happy when she was confirmed, but about now it feels like being elected to the Roman Senate in 27 BC…