Ketanji Brown Jackson Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice

Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice Thursday, making her the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court.

Jackson, a former public defender and federal appeals court judge, was sworn in during a small ceremony shortly after Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement became official. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the constitutional oath and Breyer administered the judicial oath.

“We’re here today to administer the oaths of office to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States,” Chief Justice John Roberts said at the start of the ceremony, acknowledging the oaths will allow Jackson to begin her work “without any further delay.”

“On behalf of all of the members of the court, I am pleased to welcome Justice Jackson to the court and to our common calling,” Roberts said, as applause broke out. Jackson took the oaths with her hand on two Bibles held by her husband, Patrick: a family Bible, and the “Harlan” Bible, which Justice John Marshall Harlan donated to the court in 1906.

In attendance for the swearing in were Jackson’s husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, their two daughters and the other justices on the Supreme Court: Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barret, as well as retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who stepped down from the court in 2018.

After the ceremony, Jackson said in a statement, “With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God. I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”

She also singled out Breyer, who hired her as a clerk in 1999, calling him a “personal friend and mentor of mine.”

Breyer said Jackson’s “hard work, integrity, and intelligence have earned her a place on this Court.”

“I am glad for my fellow Justices,” he added. “They gain a colleague who is empathetic, thoughtful, and collegial. I am glad for America. Ketanji will interpret the law wisely and fairly, helping that law to work better for the American people, whom it serves.”

Roberts said a formal investiture ceremony will be held for Jackson in the fall, but her swearing-in Thursday enables her to get to work on the court in the meantime.

In a statement, President Joe Biden thanked Breyer for his service and congratulated his nominee on becoming “Justice Jackson.”

“Her historic swearing in today represents a profound step forward for our nation, for all the young, Black girls who now see themselves reflected on our highest court, and for all of us as Americans,” Biden said, adding that the Supreme Court “just gained a colleague with a world-class intellect, the dignified temperament the American people expect of a justice, and the strongest credentials imaginable.”

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