On Monday begins the Senate confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman justice on the high court. She would also be replacing Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring, and for whom Jackson clerked earlier in her career.
For more on Jackson’s hearing and what to expect during the hearings, Texas Standard spoke with Renee Knake Jefferson, law professor at the University of Houston Law Center. She tells the Standard that Jackson, a Harvard graduate, is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, and has faced Senate hearings before.
Listen to the interview with Knake Jefferson in the audio player above or read the highlights below:
– Jackson has already been confirmed by the Senate three times for various appointments. Knake Jefferson expects her to handle tough questions smoothly over the course of the hearings.
– Jackson has been a judge longer than many sitting Supreme Court justices: she has been a public defender; served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission; and clerked for multiple judges, including for Justice Breyer.
– Knake Jefferson expects the focus of the hearing to be on Jackson’s record with criminal justice issues.
– She also expects Jackson to be confirmed by as early as mid-April.
