6:55 p.m., March 20, 2022
Ketanji Brown Jackson is summoned to the US Senate on Monday to answer questions from elected officials in order to be confirmed as a Supreme Court judge. Its validation, on the proposal of Joe Biden, would be historic.
As tradition dictates, the hearings will last four days, but this time the stakes are high: a lifetime appointment for the first African-American magistrate to sit on the benches of the highest court in the country. Since its creation 232 years ago, only two black men and five women have served in this institution. Barring a big surprise, Ketanji Brown Jackson, proposed by Joe Biden in February, should be confirmed in this position. The Democrats can indeed win the confirmation of the 51-year-old lawyer without the vote of the Republicans.
A step forward for the image of American institutions in the United States
Even if his arrival at the Court will not change the balance of power between six conservative judges and three liberals, it will be a step forward for the image of American institutions in the United States and abroad. In addition to his skin color different from that of his future peers, Ketanji Brown Jackson had an atypical professional career. While most judges at this level have distinguished themselves as prosecutors, the former federal judge has solid experience on the defense side.
Court-appointed lawyer for destitute defendants or defender of Guantánamo detainees, the one whose first name means « jolie » was thus able to understand the workings and workings of criminal justice. A high school eloquence contest champion and Harvard graduate, Ketanji Brown Jackson also worked on the commission to reduce racial inequalities in justice.