Biden Chooses Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court Nomination
Ask Students: Who is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and what is her background? What promises did President Biden make about this Supreme Court nomination?
Summary
On Friday, February 25, news reported that President Biden had chosen federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Judge Jackson isn’t new to the Supreme Court short list, she was considered a long-shot pick for President Obama in 2016. Watch the video below to learn more about the recent nomination.
Discussion Questions: Ketanji Brown Jackson
- Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson, and what is her background?
- What promises did President Biden make about this Supreme Court nomination?
- Why is a seat on the Supreme Court opening up?
- Where and When would Jackson have a confirmation hearing before becoming a justice?
- How might Jackson’s background help her receive confirmation votes from Republicans as well as Democrats?
Focus Questions
How might Jackson’s background as a public defender shape her views on criminal cases before the Supreme Court? Do you think such perspective is useful or valuable?
Media literacy: What details from this biographical sketch of Jackson do you think are important for understanding her perspective as a potential Supreme Court justice?
Additional Resources
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
