Childhood and Education Journey of Ketanji Brown Jackson in Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Ketanji Brown Jackson, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn into office in 2022. Jackson is the first Black woman and the first former federal public defender to hold a position on the Supreme Court.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

September 14, 1970: Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson Born

On September 14, 1970, Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson was born. She is an American lawyer and jurist who is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Others born on this day/year

1988: Graduation from Palmetto Senior High School

In 1988, Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School as senior class president, expressing her ambition to pursue law and eventually become a judge.

1989: Uncle's Conviction

In 1989, while Ketanji Brown Jackson was an undergraduate at Harvard, her uncle Thomas Brown Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent cocaine conviction.

1992: Graduation from Harvard University

In 1992, Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude. Her senior thesis was titled "The Hand of Oppression: Plea Bargaining Processes and the Coercion of Criminal Defendants".

1993: Attended Harvard Law School

In 1993, Ketanji Brown Jackson attended Harvard Law School, where she was a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review.

1996: Graduation from Harvard Law School

In 1996, Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor, cum laude.

1996: Marriage to Patrick Graves Jackson

In 1996, Ketanji Brown Jackson married surgeon Patrick Graves Jackson, whom she met at Harvard College.

2016: Harvard Board of Overseers member

In 2016, Ketanji Brown Jackson became a Harvard Board of Overseers member and served until 2022.

2017: Speech on Family Lineage

In a 2017 speech, Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke about her family lineage, noting that her ancestors were likely slaves on both sides.

December 2024: Broadway Debut in & Juliet

In December 2024, Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared in the Broadway production of & Juliet, portraying herself in a brief cameo. She called it a "lifelong dream of hers".

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