Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Swearing-In Represents Hope for Equal Justice Under Law

Statement of Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn 

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.

Justice Jackson has demonstrated a longstanding and unwavering commitment to justice for all Americans throughout her extensive career. With her long record as an unbiased jurist, Justice Jackson will work to ensure that every American – regardless of the color of their skin, their income, their gender, or their political leanings – is treated equally under the law.

After a string of ideological rulings from the Supreme Court culminating in last week’s Dobbs opinion, ignoring precedent to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Court is desperately in need of a boost. 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.

 

To read both letters Common Cause sent to Senators urging the confirmation of Judge Jackson, click here, and here.