Fair Courts

Karen Hobert Flynn, president of the progressive group Common Cause, said after the high court‘s string of conservative rulings on guns and abortion, Justice Jackson joining the court gives a “ray of hope” to the nation. “The Court is desperately in need of a boost,” she said.  “With the reputation of the Court in tatters, Justice Jackson’s swearing-in is a monumental step forward, and represents a ray of hope that our nation’s highest court may once again deliver equal justice under the law.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s swearing-in to the United States Supreme Court represents a watershed moment in our nation’s history. The eminently qualified jurist brings new perspectives as the first former public defender, first former member of the United States Sentencing Commission, and the first Black woman to serve on the High Court since its initial assembly in 1790. Her extensive professional experience in private practice and the federal bench as a trial judge and an appellate judge, and the lived experience she shared at her confirmation hearings, will broaden the perspective of a Court that will now better reflect the diversity and experiences of all Americans.

Today, the conservative majority of United States Supreme Court struck down a law that prevents potential corruption from arising when politicians make large personal loans to their own campaigns only to repay them with donations received after Election Day. Candidates will now be able to take out millions of dollars in personal loans for their campaigns that can be repaid after the election by special interest donors who are effectively depositing money into a politicians’ personal bank accounts. Common Cause filed an amicus brief in Federal Election Commission (FEC) v. Ted Cruz for Senate with the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Democracy 21.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is a victory for the American people at a time when our democracy is under siege. Soon-to-be Justice Jackson has demonstrated a longstanding and unwavering commitment to justice for all Americans. That commitment will be crucial as it has increasingly fallen to the courts to serve as a bulwark to our democracy at a time when too many politicians are passing laws to make it harder for certain Americans – particularly Black and Brown Americans - to vote and to be heard by those in power.

The Senate is considering the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for a seat on the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed to the high court, she will succeed her mentor, Justice Stephen Breyer, who plans to retire when the Court rises for its summer recess.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Senate this morning, Common Cause urged senators to confirm U.S. Circuit Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Common Cause’s letter highlighted Judge Jackson’s strong commitment to justice for all and the wealth of experience she brings that led to bi-partisan support throughout her judicial career.