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President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The nomination is historic, as Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation. Jackson, 51, currently sits on DC's federal appellate court and had been considered the front-runner for the Supreme Court open seat since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. In a statement, the White House cited Jackson's "broad experience across the legal profession," highlighting her career as a federal appellate judge, federal district court judge, member of the US Sentencing Commission, attorney in private practice and as a federal public defender. Jackson is described by the White House as "an exceptionally qualified" and "historic" nominee, calling on the Senate to "move forward with a fair and timely hearing and confirmation."
In her career, Jackson clerked for Breyer and served in Washington as a federal public defender -- her supporters say her experience is fitting, given Biden's commitment to putting more public defenders on the federal bench. She was also a member on the US Sentencing Commission and served on the federal district court in DC, as an appointee of President Barack Obama, before Biden elevated her to the DC Circuit last year.
Biden will deliver remarks on Friday afternoon announcing the selection, according to the White House.