Today, President Biden will announce his intent to nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson released the following statement: 

“It’s a historic day for our country. After a thorough and rigorous process with input from Senators of both parties and legal experts, President Biden has fulfilled his promise to nominate the first Black woman – Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson – to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

“Judge Jackson is exceptionally well qualified and has the experience, character, integrity, and dedication to the Constitution and rule of law to serve on the nation’s highest court. She has been confirmed three times on a bipartisan vote – and there’s no reason to not expect the same as she is now considered for the Supreme Court.

“From defending the fundamental right to equitable access to reproductive health care to protecting access to the ballot, Judge Jackson will make critical legal decisions that will impact North Carolinians’ lives for decades to come. The North Carolina Democratic Party is proud of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership in transforming our judiciary to reflect the strength and diversity of our nation.” 

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is exceptionally well qualified to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court: 

• Former Speaker Paul Ryan praised her when she was nominated for District Court in 2012. “Our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanji’s intellect, for her character, for her integrity is unequivocal,” he said. “She’s an amazing person, and I favorably recommend her consideration.”

• Judge Jackson has deep experience across the justice system, which will make her a well-rounded Justice. She comes from a family of police officers, worked as a public defender, served on the bipartisan US Sentencing Commission, and served as a judge on the District Court and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal.

• Brown Jackson studied government at Harvard University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review.

• Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate on 3 different occasions:
  • In 2009, President Obama nominated Jackson to be Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She was later confirmed by unanimous consent in February 2010. 
  • In September 2012, President Obama nominated Jackson for a vacancy in the U.S. District Court for D.C. She was confirmed by voice vote in March of 2013. 
  • In April 2021, President Biden nominated Judge Jackson to the seat vacated by Attorney General Merrick Garland in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, often regarded as a training ground for the highest court in the land. 
    • In June of 2021, Jackson was confirmed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, with a 53-44 vote in the Senate, gaining the support of Senators Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, and Lisa Murkowski.

###