Supreme court scholars are weighing in with analysis on the Jackson confirmation, calling her a “worthy successor” to the retiring liberal justice Stephen Breyer.
“She possesses all of the attributes that the US expects of supreme court justices, she has substantial relevant experience as a judge at the district and appellate levels of the federal judiciary, is highly intelligent, diligent and independent, and enjoys balanced judicial temperament. She amply displayed all of these phenomena throughout three grueling days of questioning,” Carl Tobias, Williams chair in law at the University of Richmond said.
“Her confirmation will enhance the supreme court and the nation in many critical ways. Of course, her appointment is historic, as she is the first Black woman to serve, she will improve court diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, ideology and experience.
“Jackson [also] promises to be a mainstream justice, which is important, because the Court is more ideologically conservative than it has been in the last 80 years and may not reflect the will of the people. Her diverse experiences are also critical, as Justice Sotomayor is the only justice who served as a district judge and no present justice has engaged in criminal defense work, which Jackson did and which improves her decision making.”
Professor Tobias added he was hopeful Jackson’s torrid confirmation process would lead to improvements in how future supreme court justices are seated.
“Many Americans, including members of the judiciary committee, believe that the confirmation process has been deteriorating. The process has become overly politicized and partisan and senators asked Jackson too many questions that lacked relevance, seemed calculated to score political points ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, or were even improper or insulting.
“I am cautiously optimistic that committee members and other senators will work on improvements in the process, which now can reflect poorly on the committee, the Senate, and the president and may erode public confidence in all three branches of federal government, but especially the court.”