Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to be sworn in on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the constitutional oath to Jackson and retiring Justice Stephen Breyer administered the judicial oath.
Generally, Supreme Court swearing-ins take place at the White House with the president in attendance. However, President Joe Biden was returning from the NATO summit.
Jackson was confirmed in the Senate by a 53-47 margin, with Republican Sens. Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins joining all 50 Democrats supporting Biden’s nominee.
In addition to being the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Jackson also becomes the first former federal public defender on the bench.
Serving alongside six Republican-appointed justices, Jackson could find herself in the minority on many polarizing cases. Last week, GOP-appointed justices reversed the precedent in Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions if they choose. The court also gave the green light to expand gun rights in a ruling that struck down New York’s methods for licensing concealed carry.
