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This week, we witnessed firsthand the brilliance, temperament, and poise of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Throughout the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) proceedings this week, each exchange revealed her exemplary skill and character. We can all share in the joy Senator Booker movingly described as we count down to the confirmation in a few short weeks.

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Notably, in addition to the exciting review of the Supreme Court nominee, the SJC is in a rush to fill the hundreds of lower court vacancies across the country. All around, it’s been a really good week!
To help us keep up The Rush to fill every federal judicial vacancy this year, make a donation [[link removed]] to support our efforts today.

The Good News: Grace Under Pressure

Today, we heard testimony from outside witnesses. In the first panel, members of the American Bar Association (ABA), Standing Committee presented the results of an independent, nonpartisan, and comprehensive peer review of Judge Jackson’s record. The ABA unanimously gave Judge Jackson its highest professional rating of “Well Qualified,” finding she “easily satisfies the highest standards of integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament.” The praise from judges and lawyers throughout the country was notable:

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, kicked off the hearing’s second panel with the following words: “Watching Judge Jackson sit at this very table, displaying, poise, grace, courage, and brilliance, no matter what was thrown at her, reminds me of the sheroes whose shoulders she stands on, from Ida B. Wells, to Rosa Parks, to Constance Baker Motley.”
Other panelists included Risa Goluboff, dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, Wade Henderson, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Captain Frederick Thomas, from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement. Captain Thomas, who called her “eminently qualified,” spoke about Judge Jackson’s law enforcement family and her track record as a fair, evenhanded judge; he noted that “it is our opinion that her deep familiarity with the complexities, challenges, and opportunities within law enforcement provides perspective on criminal justice issues that can be an asset to the Supreme Court.”

Towards the end of the hearing, Republican Senator Thom Tillis praised Judge Jackson and said he found it “hard to believe that anybody on my side of the aisle would disagree with that.”
Pay Attention: We're Filling the Lower Courts, Too!

This week, while the SJC was busy holding hearings for the excellent Judge Jackson, the full Senate was also hard at work confirming judges. All told, the Senate voted to confirm eight new judges [[link removed]] to lifetime appointments, bringing the total number of Biden’s nominees confirmed to 56! With each of these confirmations, our courts better reflect the people they serve with judges who bring essential professional and demographic diversity to the bench.

Here are just two nominations, illustrative of all the remarkable judges confirmed, that AFJ tracked closely from the start:

Alison Nathan , confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, now has distinction as only the second openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve on a federal appeals court (joining Judge Beth Robinson, confirmed just last year). Judge Nathan is an experienced litigator and accomplished jurist, having served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York since 2012.
Victoria Calvert , confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, becomes only the second Black woman judge on this court and the first former federal public defender to become a district court judge in Georgia. Judge Calvert has proven to be a seasoned litigator committed to equal justice.

What’s Next? Confirmation!

This is a time to celebrate and reflect on how far we have come as a country. Realizing the vision of the first Black woman justice is within reach and is a major step for the United States. We hope that the Judge’s own words and the beautiful statements relayed on her behalf demonstrate why Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson should be confirmed unanimously. She has persevered. So must we.
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