A biography for Ketanji Brown Jacksonhasn’t been written yet.
“I have the privilege of serving others by defending the Constitution and the rule of law.”
“We only have the public's belief in the rule of law and willingness to follow what it is that we decide. And so it's really quite important for the court to do its work in a way that people perceive as having integrity. One of the things we do... is we write our opinions.”
“It is incumbent upon us as justices, to educate, to educate, to help people understand what it is that we do what the law does, what the court does, and so I like talking to students and people, and I see that very much as a part of my role as well.”
“I'm an optimistic person by nature.”
“My parents always talked to me in full sentences and were really interested in investing in my potential.”
“A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges.”
“Stare decisis, which is the principle that the Supreme Court uses at the outset - the sort of background rule of judicial maintenance or precedence, in order to have predictability, stability in the law - is the kind of principle the court begins with, if it's asked to overrule or revisit a precedent.”
“That's what you do as a federal public defender. You are standing up for the constitutional value of representation.”
“I believe that the Constitution is an enduring document.”
“Presidents are not kings.”
“As judges, we are public servants. And it is up to the people to determine what the structure and form and function of the courts should be.”
“Being a first in any environment also carries with it the responsibility of success. You really want to do well, because you understand that people are judging not just you, but your entire kind.”
“I am acutely aware that, as a judge in our system, I have limited power, and I am trying in every case to stay in my lane.”
“If we're going to continue to move forward as a nation, we can't allow concern about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth, or history.”
“Judges are human beings. We have a duty that we focus on and that we take seriously.”
“I know that my role as a judge is a limited one.”
“Over time I learned to zip shut any bags I might be carrying before I walked into a shop, and to always keep my hands in plain sight. I also never entered a clothing store's changing room without first tracking down a salesperson and establishing the exact number of pieces I would be trying on, even when doing so was not expected or required.”
“I follow the rules, whatever they are, with respect to ethical obligations. And it's important in my view to do so.”
“I'm a mom and a real person and a wife and doing the best that I can.”