Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reflects on ‘groundbreaking’ path to the Supreme Court in new memoir

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is using a new memoir published Tuesday to reflect on a personal journey that has already earned her a place in history.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is using a new memoir published Tuesday to reflect on a personal journey that has already earned her a place in history. Jackson recalls sinking into her chair when she was an appeals court judge – her blood “a roaring ocean in my ears” – when President Joe Biden called in early 2022 to say he would nominate her to the high court, setting her on a path to become the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. “From my perspective, my arrival at the pinnacle of the legal profession was indeed groundbreaking, the culmination of a life spent toiling in relative obscurity, marked by my being suddenly thrust into the white-hot spotlight of national prominence,” Jackson writes in her book, “Lovely One.” She added, “For many, my seat at the table represents the realization of our country’s highest ideals in a land that promises opportunity and equality to all.” Jackson, who turns 54 this month, joined the Supreme Court two years ago and is already establishing herself as a thoughtful questioner, a prolific opinion writer and a reliable vote for the court’s liberal wing.  Biden’s first and only nominee, Jackson succeeded Justice Stephen Breyer, for whom she once clerked. In the coming days, Jackson will travel across the country to promote the memoir, speaking to sold-out theaters as well as public libraries. This week, she’ll speak in New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Miami.