Ketanji Brown Jackson, who grew up in Miami, started her role as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday afternoon. Her swearing in comes at a moment when the court is unpopular with a majority of Americans. A recent poll by Gallup found that confidence in the institution is at the lowest level ever recorded. The Roe v. Wade decision, among other rulings, is a factor.
“I know that my judicial role is further constrained by careful adherence to precedent,” Brown Jackson said in her confirmation hearings.
The new justice is the first Black woman to join the high court. This coincided with the last day of her mentor and fellow liberal, Justice Stephen Breyer. He made his retirement official in a letter to the president, saying it was an honor to have served on the court.
