History of Ketanji Brown Jackson in Timeline
Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is the first black woman and former federal public defender to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022, she previously served as a United States circuit judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. Her appointment marks a significant moment in American history.
September 14, 1970: Birth of Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson was born on September 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C. She would go on to become an influential American lawyer and jurist, ultimately serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
1988: Graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School
In 1988, Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School, where she was the senior class president and a national oratory champion. She expressed her aspiration to pursue a career in law and eventually secure a judicial appointment.
1989: Advocacy for Uncle's Clemency
In 1989, while at Harvard, Jackson's uncle received a life sentence for a nonviolent cocaine offense. Years later, she successfully advocated for his release. She secured pro bono legal representation for him, and ultimately, President Obama commuted his sentence, demonstrating her commitment to justice even in her early years.
1992: Worked for Time Magazine
From 1992 to 1993, Ketanji Brown Jackson worked as a staff reporter and researcher for Time magazine before attending Harvard Law School.
1992: Graduated from Harvard University
Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1992. Her senior thesis was titled "The Hand of Oppression: Plea Bargaining Processes and the Coercion of Criminal Defendants."
1996: Clerked for Judge Patti B. Saris
After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1996, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a law clerk to Judge Patti B. Saris of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
1996: Marriage to Patrick Graves Jackson
In 1996, Ketanji Brown Jackson married Patrick Graves Jackson, a surgeon she had met during their time at Harvard College. Patrick, a descendant of a Continental Congress delegate, comes from a family with notable ties to American history, including a relative who served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The couple has two daughters.
1996: Graduated from Harvard Law School
Ketanji Brown Jackson graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, in 1996. She served as a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review during her time there.
1999: Clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer
From 1999 to 2000, Ketanji Brown Jackson clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court, gaining invaluable experience that would later inform her judicial career.
2000: Joined Goodwin Procter
In 2000, Ketanji Brown Jackson returned to private legal practice at the law firm of Goodwin Procter, where she worked until 2002.
2005: Assistant Federal Public Defender
From 2005 to 2007, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C., where she achieved notable victories that reduced or erased lengthy prison terms.
July 23, 2009: Nominated as Vice Chair of the Sentencing Commission
On July 23, 2009, President Obama nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson as vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission, a position she later confirmed and held until 2014.
February 11, 2010: Confirmed as Vice Chair of the 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. During her tenure, the commission made significant amendments to sentencing guidelines.
2010: Vice Chairwoman of the United States Sentencing Commission
In 2010, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the vice chairwoman of the United States Sentencing Commission. During her tenure, the commission retroactively amended sentencing guidelines, reducing penalties for crack cocaine offenses.
2010: Service on Montrose Christian School Advisory Board
From 2010 to 2011, Jackson served on the advisory board of Montrose Christian School, a Baptist institution, indicating her involvement in educational matters.
2011: Service on Montrose Christian School Advisory Board
From 2010 to 2011, Jackson served on the advisory board of Montrose Christian School, a Baptist institution, indicating her involvement in educational matters.
September 20, 2012: Nominated as U.S. 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. She was introduced at her confirmation hearing by Republican U.S. Representative Paul Ryan.
2012: Pierce v. District of Columbia Case Originates
This event marks the beginning of the Pierce v. District of Columbia case, in which a deaf inmate's rights were violated due to the D.C. Department of Corrections' failure to provide reasonable accommodations during his detention in 2012.
2013: American Meat Institute v. U.S. Department of Agriculture
In 2013, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled in American Meat Institute v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, rejecting the meat packing industry's request for a preliminary injunction to block a rule requiring the identification of animals' country of origin. She found that the rule likely did not violate the First Amendment.
2013: Appointed as District Judge
In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as a district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She served in this role until 2021.
2014: Depomed v. Department of Health and Human Services
In 2014, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled in Depomed v. Department of Health and Human Services that the FDA violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to grant pharmaceutical company Depomed market exclusivity for its orphan drug Gralise. She concluded that the Orphan Drug Act required the FDA to grant exclusivity.
2015: Ruling in Pierce v. District of Columbia
In 2015, Judge Jackson ruled that the D.C. Department of Corrections had violated the rights of a deaf inmate under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The department had not provided the necessary accommodations for the inmate during his detainment in 2012.
2016: Consideration for Supreme Court Nomination
Judge Jackson was vetted as a potential nominee for the Supreme Court by the Obama administration in 2016, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
2016: Member of the Harvard Board of Overseers
Since 2016, Ketanji Brown Jackson has been a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, contributing to the governance of her alma mater.
2017: Presentation at the University of Georgia School of Law
In 2017, Jackson was a presenter at the University of Georgia School of Law's 35th Edith House Lecture.
2017: Reflection on Ancestry and Faith
In a 2017 speech, Jackson shared her belief in her family's history, stating that tracing her lineage back would likely reveal ancestors who were slaves. She identifies as a non-denominational Protestant. Her paternal ancestry can be traced to Houston County, Georgia, while her maternal ancestry traces back to Calhoun County, Georgia. Notably, through her marriage, she is related to former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
June 2018: Ruling Against Department of Health and Human Services
In June 2018, Judge Jackson presided over two cases and ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services' decision to end grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs prematurely was arbitrary and capricious.
2018: Dismissal of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Lawsuits
In 2018, Judge Jackson dismissed 40 wrongful death and product liability lawsuits related to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, stating the suits should be brought in Malaysia.
2018: Presiding Over Mock Trials
Jackson has participated as a judge in various mock trials organized by institutions such as the Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Historical Society of the District of Columbia. In 2018, she presided over a mock trial at Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law. The mock trial centered around determining the guilt of Vice President Aaron Burr in the death of Alexander Hamilton.
2018: Panelist at the National Constitution Center
In 2018, Jackson contributed as a panelist at the National Constitution Center's town hall, focusing on the legacy of Alexander Hamilton.
2018: Ruling in American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump
In 2018, Judge Jackson ruled against provisions of three executive orders that sought to limit federal employee union rights, finding them in violation of the right to collectively bargain.
2019: Ruling in Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn
In 2019, Judge Jackson ruled in the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn case, finding that senior-level presidential aides must comply with subpoenas from Congress, even if the president orders them not to.
2019: Reversed Decisions
In 2019, Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled on provisions in three Trump executive orders and a Department of Homeland Security decision, both of which were later reversed by the D.C. Circuit. Despite these reversals, her record includes nearly 600 opinions with fewer than twelve reversals.
2019: D.C. Circuit Vacates Ruling on American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump
In 2019, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated Judge Jackson's 2018 ruling on the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump case based on jurisdictional grounds.
2019: Ruling in Center for Biological Diversity v. McAleenan
In the 2019 Center for Biological Diversity v. McAleenan case, Judge Jackson ruled that federal courts did not have the jurisdiction to hear challenges against the Department of Homeland Security's decision to forgo certain environmental requirements for building a border wall.
2019: Preliminary Injunction Issued in Make The Road New York v. McAleenan
Judge Jackson issued a preliminary injunction in 2019 to block a Trump administration rule on expedited removal of undocumented immigrants without hearings. She found the decision violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
August 2020: D.C. Circuit Partially Affirms Ruling in Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn
The D.C. Circuit Court partially affirmed Judge Jackson's decision in the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn case in August 2020.
2020: D.C. Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Lawsuits
Judge Jackson's 2018 ruling on the dismissal of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 lawsuits is affirmed by the D.C. Circuit Court in 2020.
2020: Honoree at the University of Chicago Law School
In 2020, Jackson delivered the Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture at the University of Michigan Law School. The same year, she received recognition at the University of Chicago Law School's third annual Judge James B. Parsons Legacy Dinner, an event hosted by the school's Black Law Students Association.
2020: Invalidation of Federal Labor Relations Authority Rule
In her first written opinion for the court of appeals, Judge Jackson, along with the panel, invalidated a 2020 rule by the Federal Labor Relations Authority that had restricted the bargaining power of federal-sector labor unions.
2020: D.C. Circuit Reverses Injunction in Make The Road New York v. McAleenan
In a 2-1 ruling in 2020, the D.C. Circuit Court reversed Judge Jackson's 2019 preliminary injunction in the Make The Road New York v. McAleenan case, ruling that the IIRIRA prevented review of the expedited removal rule.
2020: Biden's Pledge for Supreme Court Diversity
During the 2020 presidential election campaign, President Biden pledged to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court if a vacancy arose during his term.
March 30, 2021: Nomination for United States Circuit Judge Announced
President Biden announced his intention to nominate Judge Jackson for the position of United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit on March 30, 2021.
April 19, 2021: Nomination for United States Circuit Judge Sent to Senate
Judge Jackson's nomination for the position of United States Circuit Judge was formally sent to the Senate on April 19, 2021.
April 28, 2021: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
Judge Jackson's nomination for the United States Circuit Judge position was heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 28, 2021, where she was questioned on her rulings against the Trump administration.
June 4, 2021: Don McGahn Testifies Before Congress
While the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn case remained pending, Don McGahn testified before Congress in a closed-door session on June 4, 2021, following an agreement reached with the Biden administration.
June 17, 2021: Elevated to Court of Appeals
On June 17, 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson's service as a district judge ended when she was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
2021: Potential Supreme Court Nomination and Public Defender History
In 2021, Jackson's potential nomination to the Supreme Court garnered both support and opposition. While civil rights groups and liberal advocates backed her, Republican leaders expressed dissent. Her background as a public defender was particularly highlighted, viewed as both an asset and a liability by different factions.
2021: Joining the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
In 2021, Jackson joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, marking a significant step in her legal career.
2021: United States Circuit Judge
From 2021 to 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit before her nomination to the Supreme Court.
January 2022: Judicial Philosophy and Notable Rulings
In January 2022, despite having recently joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Jackson's previous rulings were analyzed for insights into her judicial approach. While a limited sample was available from her time on the D.C. Circuit, her earlier decisions, including those challenging Trump administration policies, were considered indicative of a "liberal-leaning" judge. Further analysis suggested her stances might align with the liberal perspective of Justice Breyer, whom she later replaced.
February 25, 2022: Nominated to the Supreme Court
On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office later that year, becoming the first black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court.
June 29, 2022: End of Service as Circuit Judge
Judge Jackson's time serving as a circuit judge concluded on June 29, 2022, marking the day before her official swearing-in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
June 30, 2022: Appointment as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
On June 30, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, marking the culmination of her nomination and confirmation process. This historic moment coincided with the retirement of Justice Breyer, whose seat Jackson filled.
September 28, 2022: Assignment as Circuit Justice for the First Circuit
On September 28, 2022, Jackson was designated as the circuit justice for the First Circuit, further solidifying her role within the judicial system.
2022: Recipient of the Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award
In 2022, Jackson received the prestigious Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award. Notably, the award was presented by Awards Council members Justice Amy Coney Barrett and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, highlighting the significance of the honor within the legal community.
2022: Speculation for Supreme Court Nomination
News outlets began speculating in early 2022 that President Biden would nominate Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court for the seat vacated by Justice Breyer.
2022: Active Participation in Oral Arguments
Since joining the Supreme Court in 2022, Jackson quickly became known for her active engagement in oral arguments. Notably, she emerged as the most vocal participant, averaging 1,350 words per argument, surpassing her eight fellow justices.
February 28, 2023: First Majority Opinion for a Unanimous Court
On February 28, 2023, Jackson authored her first majority opinion for a unanimous court in Delaware v. Pennsylvania. This case involved the distribution of unclaimed MoneyGram funds among states.
2023: Sole Dissenting Opinion in Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Teamsters
In 2023, Jackson penned a significant sole dissenting opinion in the case of Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Teamsters. The case pertained to the legal recourse employers have against labor unions concerning property damage following strikes. Jackson's dissent argued that the majority's decision contradicted Congressional intentions regarding labor dispute adjudication and risked undermining the right to strike.
2023: Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
In 2023, Jackson was recognized by Delta Sigma Theta sorority with an honorary membership.