Legal experts hail swearing in of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as historic in multiple ways
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The United States Supreme Court has a new member.
With the oath taken at noon on Thursday, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson became Justice Jackson.
"We have a new historic moment to celebrate, and that is our first Black woman on the Supreme Court," said Prof. Amy Wildermuth, dean of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
"This is an amazing day, especially as a Black woman attorney," said Regina Wilson, secretary of the Allegheny County Bar Association.
"I am thrilled, but not just me. The entire country should be so proud," said Prof. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, a former Duquesne Law School professor now with Wayne State Law School.
After the constitutional oath was administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Jackson, who once clerked for Justice Breyer, took the judicial oath from her old boss, as an 83-year-old white male was replaced by a 51-year-old Black woman.
"It took too long. We should also note that this has been a long time coming," Wildermuth said.
Wildermuth, who once clerked at the Supreme Court, noted the historic moment. Since 1789, 108 of the 115 members of the high court have been white males, With Justice Jackson, four of the current nine members are now women, another first.
"Justice Jackson is overly qualified. She hits every single mark. Her record says very clearly that she is going to follow the rule of law. It says that she is ready to go to work. We should all just be overjoyed," Jefferson-Bullock said.
Jefferson-Bullock noted Jackson's qualifications, allowing her to step right into her new role, while the ACBA's Wilson said it also sends an important message.
"I think about the Black girls and Black young women like my niece who will now see someone who looks like them on the United States Supreme Court," Wilson said.
So will Jackson have much of an impact on the six conservative justices?
"She has shown that she is fair, impartial, and thoughtful, as well as measured. But she also brings her unique experiences to the court, and I do think it's been shown in the past the justices do have discussions," Wilson said. "She will have an impact in the future bringing her experiences to the court, her perspectives."
Wilson noted that Jackson is the only justice with public defender experience, and Jefferson-Bullock said as the only Black woman on the court, she could help educate the others.
"She brings such a wealth of experience as a Black woman. Remember now, we are often stuck in that place of being gendered, of being sexualized, of being racially oppressed. So, we understand from that point of view so many facets of discrimination, oppression – things that a majority of Americans do not have to worry about," Jefferson-Bullock said.
Wildermuth, who clerked for the late Justice Stevens, said the conferences are for the justices only, no law clerks, and Jackson's views will certainly be heard if not shared by others.
"It's true that we don't know exactly what transpires in there. We do know that it is a conversation with the justices, and they do have to make decisions. And they typically have a pretty ordered way in which they go around the table and talk about cases," Wildermuth said.
This court is now relatively young. Four justices like Jackson are in their 50s, three are in their 60s and the older ones, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, are 72 and 74.
So don't expect much difference in the near-term, Wildermuth said.
"This is not the moment where Justice Jackson is going to come in and change all of these outcomes. That's not what today is."
"But what we will see is a long arc of a career, a long arc of her having influence over time, and we'll see as the court ebbs and flows what direction everything will go in," says Wildermuth.
Depending on the justices' health and retirement goals, it could be another 10 years before a new justice is appointed.
The Supreme Court is now adjourned until October, so we won't see until next year the influence Justice Jackson will have.
