Ketanji Brown Jackson Fast Facts

Here is a look at the life of US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Birth date: September 14, 1970

Birth place: Washington, DC

Birth name: Ketanji Onyika Brown

Father: Johnny Brown, attorney

Mother: Ellery Brown, school principal

Marriage: Patrick Jackson (1996-present)

Children: Leila and Talia

Education: Harvard University, B.A., 1992, magna cum laude; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1996, cum laude

Religion: Nondenominational Protestant

Ketanji Onyika is an African name meaning “lovely one.”

While at Harvard Law School, Jackson served as a supervising editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Jackson is the first Black woman to be nominated to the United States Supreme Court.

Jackson is the first justice to be a former public defender.

Jackson is related by marriage to former House Speaker and longtime Republican Rep. Paul Ryan.

1992-1993 – Staff reporter and researcher at Time magazine.

1996-1997 – Law Clerk for District of Massachusetts Judge Patti B. Saris.

1997-1998 – Law Clerk for First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bruce M. Selya.

1998-1999 – Associate at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin LLP.

1999-2000 – Law Clerk for Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer.

2000-2002 – Associate at Goodwin Procter LLP.

2002-2003 – Associate at Feinberg Rozen, LLP (formerly known as The Feinberg Group, LLP).

2003 -2005 – Assistant Special Counsel at the United States Sentencing Commission.

2005 -2007 – Assistant Federal Public Defender in Washington, DC.

2007-2010 – Of Counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP.

2010-2014 – Vice Chair and Commissioner at the United States Sentencing Commission.

September 20, 2012 – President Barack Obama nominates Jackson for US District Court Judge. On March 23, 2013, the Senate votes to confirm Jackson.

March 30, 2021 – President Joe Biden announces his intent to nominate Jackson for the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. On June 14, the Senate votes 53-44 to confirm Jackson.

February 25, 2022 – Biden announces he has selected Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court.

April 7, 2022 – The Senate votes 53-47 to confirm Jackson.

June 30, 2022 – Jackson is sworn in as an associate justice to the United States Supreme Court, becoming the first Black woman to take a seat on the high court.

September 30, 2022 – Jackson’s investiture ceremony is held.

September 3, 2024 – Jackson’s memoir, “Lovely One,” is published.