Ketanji Jackson, 1st Black Female Supreme Court Pick, Faces US Senators In Historic Confirmation Hearings

The United States Senate will decide on Judge Ketanji Brown's nomination to the Supreme Court to become the first Black woman to serve on the court.

Starting this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will undertake four days of confirmation hearings for President Joe Biden's nominee for the US' highest court. Over four days, the committee will look into Jackson's career.

On Monday, she will deliver her opening statement, followed by opening remarks from committee members, AP News reports. She won't be questioned until Tuesday and Wednesday, when each of the 22 members of the committee will have 30 minutes to do so. They will have 20 minutes apiece if there is a second round of questioning.

On Thursday, when legal experts and officials from the American Bar Association testify on Jackson's legal record, the nominee will be away from the heating chamber.

Following the hearings, the committee will vote on whether or not to submit her nomination to the entire Senate. Democrats would like to confirm Jackson before the end of the two-week spring recess on April 8.

Historic Moment for the US Supreme Court

For nearly two centuries, the court was solely made up of white men. Only two Black males have served on the Supreme Court: Justice Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall, who were confirmed in 1991 and 1967, respectively. On the court, there has never been a Black woman.

During his 2020 campaign, Biden stated that he would nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court if given the opportunity.

However, according to The Hill, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) accused Jackson of being too lenient on sex-related crimes. The charge was met with stinging criticism from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and the White House. However, her supporters claim that her background as a criminal defense attorney is an advantage.

She'll also be questioned about her work with the United States Sentencing Commission regarding Guantanamo Bay captives and her opinions on court expansion.

Jackson's Background

Jackson, 51, graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. Then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1996. After graduating from law school, Jackson served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, whom she will replace if confirmed.

In a video shared by US President Joe Biden on social media, Jackson described the 83-year-old Breyer as "an incredible boss and mentor."

According to Al Jazeera, Jackson worked in private practice and the Office of the Federal Public Defender in the District of Columbia's appeals division, among other positions. She told a Senate committee last year that her work as a public defender was a chance to help the underprivileged and promote "core constitutional values."

She also worked for the US Sentencing Commission as an associate special counsel and vice-chair.

Jackson was nominated to the US District Court for the District of Columbia by former US President Barack Obama in 2012, and she was approved the following year. After being nominated by Biden, she got confirmed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in 2021.