U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich during a meeting with Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in his office March 28 in Washington, D.C. Courtesy photo 

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:

“It is an honor to vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the next Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Judge Jackson received bipartisan support in the Senate because she is extremely well qualified and will bring a wealth of experience to the Court after serving as a judge on the federal bench and practicing law in the criminal justice system.

I appreciated meeting with Judge Jackson last month and discussing issues impacting New Mexico and the West, including water law and Tribal sovereignty. I was deeply impressed by the fair and evenhanded way in which she approaches legal decisions.

“Today is a proud day for our country. When Judge Jackson takes the bench as our next Supreme Court Justice, she will bring a whole generation of women and young girls with her.”

About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Today, April 7, 2022, a bipartisan group of Senators confirmed Judge Jackson’s nomination.

Since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, President Biden has conducted a rigorous process to identify his replacement. President Biden sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law. And the President sought an individual who is committed to equal justice under the law and who understands the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions have on the lives of the American people.

That is why the President nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the next Justice on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson is one of our nation’s brightest legal minds and has an unusual breadth of experience in our legal system, giving her the perspective to be an exceptional Justice.

About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Judge Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Miami, Fla. Her parents attended segregated primary schools, then attended historically black colleges and universities. Both started their careers as public school teachers and became leaders and administrators in the Miami-Dade Public School System.

When Judge Jackson was in preschool, her father attended law school. In a 2017 lecture, Judge Jackson traced her love of the law back to sitting next to her father in their apartment as he tackled his law school homework—reading cases and preparing for Socratic questioning—while she undertook her preschool homework—coloring books.

Judge Jackson stood out as a high achiever throughout her childhood. She was a speech and debate star who was elected “mayor” of Palmetto Junior High and student body president of Miami Palmetto Senior High School. But like many Black women, Judge Jackson still faced naysayers. When Judge Jackson told her high school guidance counselor, she wanted to attend Harvard, the guidance counselor warned that Judge Jackson should not set her “sights so high”.

That did not stop Judge Jackson. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, then attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated cum laude and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Judge Jackson lives with her husband, Patrick, and their two daughters, in Washington, D.C.

Source: The White House