History of Ketanji Brown Jackson in Timeline
Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is an American lawyer and jurist currently serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Joe Biden, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn in 2022. Jackson's appointment marks several historical milestones: she is the first Black woman, the first former federal public defender, and the sixth woman to hold a position on the Supreme Court.
September 14, 1970: Ketanji Onyika Brown Born
On September 14, 1970, Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson (née Brown) was born. She is an American lawyer and jurist, and currently serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
1988: Graduated from Palmetto as Senior Class President
In 1988, Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School as senior class president, with aspirations to pursue law and obtain a judicial appointment.
1989: Uncle's Sentencing
In 1989, while Jackson was an undergraduate at Harvard, her uncle Thomas Brown Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent cocaine conviction.
1992: Staff Reporter and Researcher for Time Magazine
From 1992 to 1993, Ketanji Brown Jackson worked as a staff reporter and researcher for "Time" magazine.
1992: Graduated 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
From 1993, Ketanji Brown Jackson attended Harvard Law School.
1996: Law Clerk to Judge Patti B. Saris
From 1996 to 1997, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a law clerk to Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
1996: Graduated 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.
1997: Law Clerk to Judge Bruce M. Selya
From 1997 to 1998, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a law clerk to Judge Bruce M. Selya of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
1998: Private Practice at Miller Cassidy Larroca & Lewin
In 1998, Ketanji Brown Jackson spent a year in private practice at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Miller Cassidy Larroca & Lewin (now part of Baker Botts).
1999: Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
From 1999 to 2000, Ketanji Brown Jackson clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
2000: Returned to Private Legal Practice
From 2000 to 2002, Ketanji Brown Jackson returned to private legal practice at the law firm of Goodwin Procter.
2000: End of Clerkship with Justice Breyer
In 2000, Ketanji Brown Jackson's clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer concluded.
2002: Joined Feinberg & Rozen LLP
From 2002 to 2003, Ketanji Brown Jackson worked under Kenneth Feinberg at the law firm now called Feinberg & Rozen LLP.
2003: Assistant Special Counsel
From 2003 to 2005, Ketanji Brown Jackson was an assistant special counsel to the United States Sentencing Commission.
2003: Michael E. Horowitz Served Until 2009
From 2003 until 2009, Michael E. Horowitz served as the vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission before Ketanji Brown Jackson.
2005: Assistant Federal Public Defender
From 2005 to 2007, Ketanji Brown Jackson was an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C.
2007: Appellate Specialist at Morrison & Foerster
From 2007 to 2010, Ketanji Brown Jackson was an appellate specialist in private practice at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster.
July 23, 2009: Nominated as Vice Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission
On July 23, 2009, President Obama nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson as vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.
November 5, 2009: Nomination Favorably Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
On November 5, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination by voice vote.
February 11, 2010: Confirmed as Vice Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission
On February 11, 2010, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination as vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission by voice vote.
2010: Advisory Board of Montrose Christian School
From 2010 to 2011, Ketanji Brown Jackson served on the advisory board of Montrose Christian School.
2010: Vice Chairwoman of the United States Sentencing Commission
In 2010, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the vice chairwoman of the United States Sentencing Commission.
2010: End of time at Morrison & Foerster
In 2010, Ketanji Brown Jackson's time as an appellate specialist in private practice at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster came to an end.
2011: Advisory Board of Montrose Christian School
From 2010 to 2011, Ketanji Brown Jackson served on the advisory board of Montrose Christian School.
September 20, 2012: Nomination as United States District Judge
On September 20, 2012, President Obama nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as a United States district judge for the District of Columbia.
December 2012: Confirmation Hearing
In December 2012, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan introduced Ketanji Brown Jackson at her confirmation hearing, endorsing her intellect, character, and integrity.
2012: Detention of Deaf Inmate
In 2012, a deaf inmate's rights were violated by the D.C. Department of Corrections when jail officials failed to provide reasonable accommodations during his detention, which led to the 2015 ruling in Pierce v. District of Columbia.
February 14, 2013: Nomination Favorably Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
On February 14, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination by voice vote.
2013: Appointed as District Judge
In 2013, Ketanji Brown Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as a district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
2013: American Meat Institute v. U.S. Department of Agriculture Ruling
In 2013, in the case of American Meat Institute v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ketanji Brown Jackson rejected the meat packing industry's request for a preliminary injunction to block a United States Department of Agriculture rule requiring them to identify animals' country of origin.
2014: End of Service on Sentencing Commission
In 2014, Ketanji Brown Jackson concluded her service on the United States Sentencing Commission.
2014: End of Term at the United States Sentencing Commission
In 2014, Ketanji Brown Jackson's term as the vice chairwoman of the United States Sentencing Commission came to an end.
2014: Depomed v. Department of Health and Human Services Ruling
In 2014, in Depomed v. Department of Health and Human Services, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it failed to grant pharmaceutical company Depomed market exclusivity for its orphan drug Gralise.
2015: Pierce v. District of Columbia Ruling
In 2015, in Pierce v. District of Columbia, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled that the D.C. Department of Corrections violated the rights of a deaf inmate under the Americans with Disabilities Act because jail officials failed to provide the inmate with reasonable accommodations during his detention in 2012.
2016: Harvard Board of Overseers Member
From 2016, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a Harvard Board of Overseers member until 2022.
2017: Presented at University of Georgia School of Law
In 2017, Ketanji Brown Jackson presented at the University of Georgia School of Law's 35th Edith House Lecture.
2017: Speech on Family Lineage
In a 2017 speech, Ketanji Brown Jackson said, "I am fairly certain that if you traced my family lineage back past my grandparents—who were raised in Georgia, by the way—you would find that my ancestors were slaves on both sides."
June 2018: Ruling on Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs
In June 2018, Ketanji Brown Jackson presided over two cases challenging the Department of Health and Human Services' decision to terminate grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs two years early, ruling that the decision to terminate the grants early without explanation was arbitrary and capricious.
2018: Dismissal of Wrongful Death and Product Liability Lawsuits
In 2018, Ketanji Brown Jackson dismissed 40 wrongful death and product liability lawsuits stemming from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
2018: Presided over mock trial
In 2018, Ketanji Brown Jackson presided over a mock trial hosted by Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law "to determine if Vice President Aaron Burr was guilty of murdering" Alexander Hamilton.
2018: Panelist at National Constitution Center town hall
In 2018, Ketanji Brown Jackson was a panelist at the National Constitution Center's town hall on Alexander Hamilton's legacy.
2018: Invalidated Executive Orders in AFGE v. Trump
In 2018, in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump, Ketanji Brown Jackson invalidated provisions of three executive orders that would have limited the time federal employee labor union officials could spend with union members.
2019: Preliminary Injunction in Make The Road New York v. McAleenan
In 2019, Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a preliminary injunction in Make The Road New York v. McAleenan, blocking a Trump administration rule that would have expanded expedited removal without immigration court hearings for undocumented immigrants.
2019: Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn Ruling
In 2019, Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a ruling in Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn, compelling Don McGahn to comply with a subpoena to appear at an impeachment inquiry hearing.
2019: Ruling on Trump Executive Orders Reversed
In 2019, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled that provisions in three Trump executive orders conflicted with federal employee rights to collective bargaining, but her decision was reversed unanimously by the D.C. Circuit.
2019: Center for Biological Diversity v. McAleenan Ruling
In 2019, in Center for Biological Diversity v. McAleenan, Ketanji Brown Jackson held that Congress had stripped federal courts of jurisdiction to hear non-constitutional challenges to the Homeland Security Secretary's decision to waive environmental requirements for border wall construction.
2019: Vacated Ruling on Jurisdictional Grounds
In 2019, the D.C. Circuit vacated Ketanji Brown Jackson's ruling in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump on jurisdictional grounds.
August 2020: D.C. Circuit Affirmed Part of Decision
In August 2020, the D.C. Circuit affirmed part of Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2019 decision in Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn.
2020: Biden Pledges to Appoint a Black Woman
During the 2020 United States presidential election campaign, Biden pledged to appoint a black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court should a vacancy occur.
2020: Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture
In 2020, Jackson gave the Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture at the University of Michigan Law School and was honored at the University of Chicago Law School's third annual Judge James B. Parsons Legacy Dinner.
2020: Affirmation of Ruling by D.C. Circuit
In 2020, the D.C. Circuit affirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2018 ruling to dismiss the lawsuits related to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
2020: Reversal of Preliminary Injunction
In 2020, the D.C. Circuit reversed Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2019 entry of a preliminary injunction in Make The Road New York v. McAleenan.
March 30, 2021: President Biden announces intention to nominate Jackson
On March 30, 2021, President Biden announced his intention to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson as a United States circuit judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.
April 19, 2021: Nomination sent to the Senate
On April 19, 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination for United States circuit judge was sent to the Senate. Biden nominated Jackson to the seat vacated by Judge Merrick Garland.
April 28, 2021: Hearing on Nomination
On April 28, 2021, the hearing on Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which she was questioned about her rulings against the Trump administration.
June 4, 2021: McGahn Testified Behind Closed Doors
On June 4, 2021, Don McGahn testified behind closed doors under an agreement reached with the Biden administration, while the case remained pending.
June 17, 2021: End of Service as District Judge
On June 17, 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson's service as a district judge ended when she was elevated to the court of appeals.
2021: Elevated to the United States Court of Appeals
In 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by President Joe Biden.
2021: Conservative Activists Pointed to Decisions Reversed on Appeal
In spring 2021, Bloomberg Law reported that conservative activists were pointing to certain decisions by Ketanji Brown Jackson that had been reversed on appeal as a "potential blemish on her record".
2021: Joined U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
In the summer of 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
January 2022: Report on Legal Philosophy
In January 2022, The New York Times reported that Jackson had not yet written a body of appeals court opinions expressing a legal philosophy.
February 25, 2022: Nominated to the Supreme Court
On February 25, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden.
June 29, 2022: End of service as circuit judge
On June 29, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson's service as a circuit judge ended, the day before she was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
June 30, 2022: Sworn in as Associate Justice
On June 30, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in and became an associate justice at noon, when Justice Breyer's retirement went into effect, making her the first Black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court.
September 28, 2022: Assigned as circuit justice for the First Circuit
On September 28, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was assigned as the circuit justice for the First Circuit.
2022: Received Golden Plate Award
In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson received the Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award, presented by Awards Council members Justice Amy Coney Barrett and retired justice Anthony Kennedy.
2022: Served on the United States Court of Appeals
In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit until she was nominated to the Supreme Court.
2022: Speculation of Supreme Court Nomination
In early 2022, news outlets speculated that Biden would nominate Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by Justice Breyer.
2022: Most Active Participant in Oral Arguments
Since joining the Court at the beginning of the 2022 term, Ketanji Brown Jackson was the most active participant in oral arguments, speaking an average of 1,350 words per argument.
February 28, 2023: Authored first majority opinion
On February 28, 2023, Jackson authored her first majority opinion for a unanimous court in Delaware v. Pennsylvania, which involved how unclaimed money from MoneyGrams are distributed among individual states.
June 1, 2023: Dissenting opinion in Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Teamsters
On June 1, 2023, Jackson wrote the sole dissenting opinion in Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Teamsters, concerning the power of employers to sue labor unions regarding the destruction of employer property following a strike.
June 13, 2024: Opinion in Starbucks Corporation v. McKinney
On June 13, 2024, Jackson wrote an opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part, in Starbucks Corporation v. McKinney.
December 2024: Broadway Debut in & Juliet
In December 2024, Jackson appeared in the Broadway production of "& Juliet" one night, portraying herself in a brief cameo, fulfilling a "lifelong dream".
July 8, 2025: Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump, Jackson dissents
On July 8, 2025, in AFGE v. Trump, the Supreme Court issued an emergency order on Trump's federal workforce reorganization, ruling in Trump's favor 8-1, with Jackson the lone dissenter.
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