Ketanji Brown Jackson
Encyclopedia
Ketanji Brown Jackson is an American lawyer and current commissioner on the United States Sentencing Commission
.
in 1988. She earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in government in 1992 from Harvard University
and a law degree cum laude in 1996 from Harvard Law School
.
Jackson has served as a law clerk for three federal judges, including United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Judge Patti B. Saris
and United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Judge Bruce M. Selya. She clerked for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer
of the United States Supreme Court
from 1999 until 2000.
. From 2005 until 2007, Jackson served as an assistant federal public defender in the District of Columbia. In 2007, Jackson joined the law firm of Morrison & Foerster.
nominated Jackson to the part-time role of being one of the seven voting members on the United States Sentencing Commission. The United States Senate
confirmed Jackson by unanimous consent on February 11, 2010.
Jackson will serve on the United States Sentencing Commission through 2013. She succeeded Michael Horowitz, who served from 2003 until 2009.
United States Sentencing Commission
The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency of the judicial branch of the federal government of the United States. It is responsible for articulating the sentencing guidelines for the United States federal courts...
.
Early life and education
A native of Miami, Florida, Jackson graduated from Miami Palmetto High SchoolMiami Palmetto High School
Miami Palmetto Senior High School is a secondary school located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street in Pinecrest, Florida, USA, a Miami suburb; its principal is Allison Harley. The school is on 23 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district....
in 1988. She earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in government in 1992 from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and a law degree cum laude in 1996 from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Jackson has served as a law clerk for three federal judges, including United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
Judge Patti B. Saris
Patti B. Saris
Patti B. Saris is a District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She joined the court in 1993 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. She is also Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.-Early life and education:Saris was born in...
and United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
Judge Bruce M. Selya. She clerked for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
of the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
from 1999 until 2000.
Legal career
Jackson worked in private legal practice from 1998 until 1999 and again from 2000 until 2003. From 2003 until 2005, she remained in private practice as an attorney at the Feinberg Group law firm, and she also served as an assistant special counsel to the United States Sentencing CommissionUnited States Sentencing Commission
The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency of the judicial branch of the federal government of the United States. It is responsible for articulating the sentencing guidelines for the United States federal courts...
. From 2005 until 2007, Jackson served as an assistant federal public defender in the District of Columbia. In 2007, Jackson joined the law firm of Morrison & Foerster.
Appointment to the United States Sentencing Commission
On July 23, 2009, President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Jackson to the part-time role of being one of the seven voting members on the United States Sentencing Commission. The United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed Jackson by unanimous consent on February 11, 2010.
Jackson will serve on the United States Sentencing Commission through 2013. She succeeded Michael Horowitz, who served from 2003 until 2009.