“I wholeheartedly accept the official responsibility of supporting and defending the United States Constitution and of administering justice without fear or favor, so help me, my God. I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great nation.” Jackson said in a statement.
In April, it was confirmed 53-47 by the Senate in the Supreme Court after a series of controversial hearings, where Republicans tried to characterize it as mild for crime and Democrats praised its judicial history.
During the confirmation hearing, he promised to be fair and impartial as a justice in the law decision.
“I have been a judge for almost a decade now and I take this responsibility and my duty to be independent very seriously. I decide cases with a neutral attitude. I evaluate the facts and interpret and apply the law to the facts of the case before me, without fear or favor. “I swear that my role as a judge is limited – that the Constitution only authorizes me to decide cases and disputes that are presented correctly.” And I know that my judicial role is further limited by the careful observance of the former. “
President Joe Biden, who nominated Jackson but was not present at the swearing-in ceremony as he returned from G7 and NATO summits in Europe, said in a statement later Thursday that “her historic swearing-in today represents a profound step forward for our nation. for all the young, black girls who now see themselves reflected in our Supreme Court, and for all of us Americans. “
She stands on the shoulders of her role models
Born in Washington, DC, on September 14, 1970, Jackson grew up in Miami, where she attended high school and participated in talk tournaments. Her love of discussion led her to Harvard University, where she graduated with honors in 1992 and cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1996. She was also a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. After college, the Harvard Law graduate worked not only for Breyer, but also for Judge Bruce M. Selya, a federal judge in Massachusetts, and U.S. District Judge Patti Saris in Massachusetts. He also served as Assistant Special Adviser to the United States Convict Committee from 2003-2005 before becoming Assistant Federal Public Defender and later Vice President and Commissioner. In 2013, he was confirmed as the District Attorney of the United States under then-President Barack Obama before being confirmed as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2021. As a judge in DC – where some of the most politically charged cases have been filed – Jackson has made notable decisions that undermine Congress’ ability to investigate the White House. As a district court judge, he wrote an opinion in 2019 with House lawmakers seeking the testimony of then-White House counsel Don McGann. Last year, he participated in the unanimous circuit committee that ordered the disclosure of certain Trump White House documents to the House committee on January 6. A former federal public defender, Jackson remained in junior U.S. courts for nearly a decade. As a judge, some other notable cases she has on file are a 2018 case filed with federal labor unions, where she blocked executive orders issued by then-President Donald Trump, and a case ruled against Trump politicians who are expanding categories of non-citizens who could be subject to expedited removal proceedings without being able to appear before a judge. Jackson wrote more than 500 opinions in the eight years she spent in the district court. During the Senate confirmation hearings, Republicans scrutinized Jackson’s file, arguing that he was too lenient in convicting child pornography cases in which Jackson and Democrats violently dismissed the allegations. At one point during the hearing, Jackson became visibly moved and wiped away tears as New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker, a Democrat, spoke about her candidacy and the obstacles she had to overcome. “My parents grew up in a country where black children and white children were not allowed to go to school together,” Jackson told Booker after the senator asked what values her parents had impressed her with. “They taught me hard work. They taught me perseverance. They taught me that anything is possible in this great country.” Following her confirmation in the Supreme Court, Jackson marked her historic candidacy in a White House speech in which she celebrated the “hope and promise” of a nation and said her affirmation “all Americans can be very proud.” . “I stand on the shoulders of my own role models, generations of Americans who have never had anything close to such opportunities, but who get up every day and go to work believing in America’s promise. “By showing others their determination and determination and, yes, their insistence that good, good things can be done in this great country,” Jackson said. Quoting the late poet Maya Angelou, he continued: “I do it now bringing the gifts given by my ancestors. I am the dream and the hope of the slave”. She has stressed her family and her faith, saying her life “was overly blessed”. She is married to Patrick, whom she met in college, for 25 years and they have two children, Leila and Talia. CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.
