Biden has finally gotten an opportunity to nominate his first pick of a Supreme Court justice. As promised by Biden during his campaign, it is going to be a Black woman who can serve the court for decades.
Liberals were continuously encouraging Stephen Breyer to retire from the Supreme Court during Biden’s tenure so that Democrats could maintain their three liberal justices in the top court.
As Biden has already reiterated his ambition to nominate a Black woman to the top bench, the three possible nominees for the position are:
Leondra Kruger: A Black Woman with Experience in Solicitor General Office
A California Supreme Court justice, Leondra Kruger is the top contender for the Supreme Court pick.
She remained as a deputy solicitor general in the US Department of Justice, a position which is the federal government’s second-ranking representative during arguments in the Supreme Court.
When she was nominated for the high court in California, Kruger was one of the youngest people ever nominated to the position.
While serving in the solicitor general office, Kruger argued twelve cases in front of the Supreme Court.
Although she had rejected the White House offer to serve in the administration previously, she is likely to accept the nomination for the top court.
After attending Harvard as an undergraduate, she became a law student at Yale University, where she served as an editor in chief of the Yale Law Journal.
She worked with the former Justice of the Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens, and then for a judge in the US Appeals Court, certainly enough credentials on her resume to get a call from Biden.
Ketanji Brown Jackson: Justice of US Courts of Appeal
Another Black woman who is capable enough to impress Biden is a US Court of Appeals justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson.
While speaking last year, she reiterated her struggle being a woman of color and how she sent her daughters to Black colleges and instilled in them the sense of competition in a predominately white society.
When Merrick Garland moved to be the Secretary of the Justice Department, Biden nominated her to fill his post in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
This act by Joe Biden created speculation that she is in the good books of the president as the Court of Appeals is considered the second most powerful judiciary in the United States. And more often than not, the US Supreme Court justices are selected from this bench.
By working with the outgoing justice Stephen Breyer, Jackson has enough experience to serve the top bench.
Similarly, she worked with two other federal justices as well and is one of the most liberal candidates which Biden could find.
With her service experience working as an editor for the Harvard Law Review during her Harvard tenure, she has ample insight to promote a liberal agenda in the conservative packed Supreme Court.
Michelle Childs: Favorite of Biden’s Favorite
By serving over a decade on the US District Court for the District of South Carolina, J. Michelle Childs is one of the top contenders to be Biden’s nominee for the Supreme court vacancy.
When Biden nominated her for the high profile DC court vacancy, it was considered an unexpected move by the president, as she had little to no local ties.
By working on the Workers’ Compensation Commission and deputy director of South Carolina’s Department of Labor, she has the potential to win the nomination for Biden’s Supreme Court pick.
Childs has a slight advantage in the sense that she is a favorite nominee of one of Biden’s top allies in the House, James E. Clyburn, who is serving as House Majority Whip.
He has often touted Child’s ability to bridge the racial gap created in the judicial setup of America.
Final Thoughts
Whoever Biden nominates, the welcoming point for Democrats is that they do not need a supermajority of 60 votes this time.
Thanks to Republicans, who eliminated the need for the filibuster for the Supreme Court justices back in 2017, helping conservatives pack the court. Thus Democrats can bring their nominee easily, should the two troubling senators comply.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.