Ketanji Brown Jackson To Be Sworn In As First Black Woman In The U.S. Supreme Court

Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in to begin her tenure in the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday.

Jackson is set to replace 83-year-old liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, who has served on the court since 1994. Jackson will take her two oaths of office at 12 p.m. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the constitutional oath, with Breyer administering the judicial oath after. The ceremony will be witnessed by Jackson’s family inside the courthouse.

Handpicked by President Joe Biden for the position, Jackson is a Harvard Law graduate who served as a Supreme Court clerk for Breyer early in her career. She also excelled during her time as a federal public defender, primarily representing indigent clients and detainees held by the U.S. in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Jackson has also held other prestigious positions, such as vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Jackson was confirmed by the Senate back in April, in a 53-47 vote, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining Democrats in favor of the 51-year-old. Jackson will become the first African-American woman to hold a position in the Supreme Court and the sixth woman overall.

Her appointment comes at a time when the Supreme Court is in turmoil after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the expansion of gun rights, despite a rash of mass shootings in recent months.