Senate Judiciary Committee Releases Testimony by the American Bar Association

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee released the testimony as prepared on behalf of the American Bar Association (ABA).  On March 18, the ABA officially rated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson unanimously “Well Qualified” to serve on the United States Supreme Court—ABA’s highest possible rating.

Key quotes:

“Judge Jackson has a sterling reputation for integrity. Judges and lawyers who have known her in every capacity uniformly praised her character, calling her integrity ‘beyond reproach,’ ‘first rate,’ and ‘impeccable.’ She also uniformly received high marks for her industry and diligence. Lawyers and judges consistently described her as ‘thorough,’ ‘hard working,’ and ‘extremely well-prepared.’”

“Judge Jackson’s professional competence is exceptional… Judge Jackson has a strong educational background and a broad spectrum of professional experience… We contacted and interviewed jurists, attorneys, and others who knew Judge Jackson in all the preceding roles. Respondents identified Judge Jackson’s broad-based experience as a district court judge, appellate judge, litigator, defense attorney, and member of the Sentencing Commission as significant strengths she would bring to the Supreme Court.”

“Judge Jackson is universally and highly regarded for her intellect. As one interviewee stated, ‘We have a lot of smart people [on a board on which she serves] but she is brilliant, and I do not say that lightly.’”

“The Standing Committee also explored Judge Jackson’s ability to work with colleagues on difficult issues. Not a single respondent expressed any concern. One interviewee, for example, commented that ‘Judge Jackson was a strong consensus builder during her time as a

Commissioner.’ Jurists at all levels of the federal judiciary similarly express confidence in Judge Jackson’s collegiality and consensus-building skills.”

The Standing Committee has conducted its independent, nonpartisan, and comprehensive evaluations of the professional qualifications of nominees to the federal bench since 1953. When President Biden announced his nomination of Judge Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on February 25, 2022, the Standing Committee began its evaluation that very day and continued its work for the next several weeks. After completing its work on March 18, 2022, the Standing Committee unanimously concluded that Judge Jackson merits its highest rating and is “Well Qualified” for appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Full testimony as prepared by the American Bar Association is available here.

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