Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Supreme Court of the United States
Ketanji Onyka Brown Jackson was born in September 1970 in Washington, D.C. She earned both an undergraduate degree and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University. She clerked in several courts, including one clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
During law school, Jackson served as a reporter and staff researcher for Time magazine.
She served as co-chair of the United States Screening Commission for four years. She has been a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers. She served as a district judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for eight years, before being elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she served one year.
She was nominated to be a Justice on the United States Supreme Court by President Joe Biden. She was confirmed by the Senate and was sworn in as an associate justice on June 30, 2022, concurrent with the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
She is married to Patrick Jackson, and they have two daughters. She is a Protestant.
In the News…
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the unanimous decision upholding the inclusion of majority groups in protections against discrimination. The opinion was issued in the case of a straight, white female who was demoted and replaced despite having positive job reviews. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that she had to provide proof of “background circumstances“ by the employer.
Justice Jackson wrote, “Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone.”
Justice Jackson continued, “The Sixth Circuit has implemented a rule that requires certain Title VII plaintiffs—those who are members of majority groups—to satisfy a heightened evidentiary standard in order to carry their burden under the first step of the McDonnell Douglas framework. We conclude that Title VII does not impose such a heightened standard on majority group plaintiffs. Therefore, the judgment below is vacated, and the case is remanded for application of the proper prima facie standard.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Justice Jackson today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20543
