Ketanji Brown Jackson was born on September 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C., and was raised in Miami, Florida. She comes from a family deeply rooted in public service; her parents were both educators. Her father, Johnny Brown, later became the chief attorney for the Miami-Dade County School Board, while her mother, Ellery, served as a school principal. Jackson excelled academically, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1992 with an A.B. in Government, and later earned her J.D., also cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1996. At Harvard Law, she was an editor for the Harvard Law Review.

After law school, Jackson began her legal career with prestigious clerkships, including serving as a law clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1999 to 2000. Her early career included work in both public and private sectors, demonstrating her versatility as a legal professional. She worked as an assistant special counsel for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an associate at Goodwin Procter, and an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C. Notably, she became vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2010 to 2014, during which she was known for her efforts to reduce federal drug sentencing disparities.

In 2012, Jackson was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a role she held from 2013 until 2021. Her tenure on the District Court was marked by significant rulings, including her decision in *Committee on the Judiciary v. McGahn* (2019), which upheld the authority of Congress to subpoena senior presidential aides.

In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, often regarded as the second most powerful court in the United States. She was confirmed by the Senate and served in this capacity until her historic nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, following the retirement announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2022, making her the first Black woman to serve as a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Jackson’s legal philosophy is often described as one grounded in a strong respect for precedent and a commitment to fairness and impartiality. Her historic appointment and career are seen as significant milestones in the ongoing efforts to diversify the U.S. judiciary.

REFERENCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketanji_Brown_Jackson