Graduates of the nation’s six historically Black schools and of law have penned a public letter of support for Supreme Court Justice Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The letter, dated March 7 and addressed to the leaders and ranking members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, underscored that Jackson’s professional qualifications were equal to the historic nature of her nomination.
We are especially pleased that Judge Jackson has served as a public interest lawyer, in her role as an assistant federal public defender in the appeals division of the Office of the Federal Public Defender in the District of Columbia. Not only will she make history as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, but she will also be the first public defender to serve on the Court. Judge Jackson has a long and personal history working as a public defender. While in law school, Judge Jackson had a relative who was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. She helped convince a law firm to take his case pro bono, eventually leading President Obama to commute his sentence. This deep commitment to fairness and justice makes Judge Jackson a uniquely qualified candidate for the Supreme Court.
Howard University School of Law Dean Danielle Holley-Walker organized the letter with signors from Howard, North Carolina Central University, the Southern University Law Center, Florida A&M University, Texas Southern University, and the University of the District of Columbia.
“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is one the brightest legal minds in our country,” said Dean Holley-Walker. “Alumni from all 6 HBCU law schools support her nomination due to her brilliance, fairness, and commitment to justice. This historic nomination is an important moment for Black lawyers around the country, and HBCU law alumni are wholeheartedly supporting this nomination.”
