Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson replacing in the Supreme Court? Swearing in details and more as Senate confirms historic appointment

On April 7, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and made history by making her the first African-American female justice to serve in the top U.S. court. Jackson will also be the first public defender to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

Ketanji Brown Jackson is set to replace Associate Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. President Biden announced Jackson’s nomination on February 25, 2022, shortly after Breyer announced his decision to retire.

However, Jackson will have to wait to be sworn in as the 116th justice until Breyer officially steps down from the role at the end of this court term.

Following the confirmation, President Joe Biden shared the historic moment on Twitter and said that the decision was another step towards making “the highest court reflect the diversity of America.”

The Senate’s historic 53-47 vote was the result of bipartisan support that saw three Republican Senators, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah, join every Democratic member to vote for Jackson’s confirmation.

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A look into the historic moment of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation

Ketanji Brown Jackson underwent two consecutive grueling days of confirmation hearings on the Senate Judiciary Committee last month.

While Jackson was praised for her qualifications, experience, and temperament by the committee, a few conservatives accused her of being "soft" on criminals during her role as a public defender.

However, Democrats stood strongly against the criticism and Members of the American Bar Association defended Jackson’s past records. As the confirmation hearings came to an end, Jackson eventually garnered the support of Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney.

Jackson’s historic voting session was presided over by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who looked visibly emotional while reading the results of the vote. The final results of the vote saw the Senate chamber erupt in applause and cheer.

Vice President Harris said in a statement that it was an “extraordinary day” and she was “very proud” of the final results. She shared,

“It's an extraordinary day, and I think it's a very important statement today about who we are as a nation that we put Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on the highest court of our land. I think it makes a very important statement about who we aspire to be, who we are, who we believe ourselves to be.”

She also mentioned that the decision was a statement that authorities want to show a “full representation” on the highest court in the U.S.

She expressed,

“It's a statement that on our highest court in the land, we want to make sure there's going to be full representation and the finest and the brightest and the best, and that's what happened today.”

Although the vote did not change the ideological setup of the Supreme Court, which provides a 6-3 advantage to Republicans, Jackson will be the first public defender to serve in the seat.

Jackson reportedly watched the vote with President Biden in the Roosevelt Room alongside other senior staff members of the White House. As per USA Today, Biden, Harris, and Jackson will deliver their official remarks on the confirmation at the South Lawn of the White House on Friday.

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When will Ketanji Brown Jackson be sworn in as U.S. Supreme Court Justice?

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to serve as the associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, but she will have to wait several months before taking her seat.

While announcing his retirement, Justice Stephen Breyer said that he will officially step down from the role at the end of the court's current term. Reports suggest that the term generally closes by late June or early July.

Jackson will officially be sworn in to her position by another member of the court once the previous term closes and Breyer steps down. Estimates suggest that Jackson could have a three-month gap between her confirmation and swearing.

Once Jackson is sworn in, she will be eligible to take the bench with the start of a new judicial term that traditionally begins on the first Monday in October. The judge is likely to start her duties after taking the constitutional oath and the judicial oath.

The Constitution reportedly provides that judges serve during “good behavior,” which is often considered to be a lifetime appointment.