Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “How a High School Debate Team Shaped Ketanji Brown Jackson” by Patricia Mazzei

President Biden on Friday said he would nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court to replace Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who announced last month that he would retire at the end of the current term this summer. If confirmed, Judge Jackson, a well-regarded federal appeals court judge, would make history by becoming the first Black woman to serve as a justice.

In this lesson, you’ll read about how Judge Jackson’s high school debate team shaped her dream of becoming a judge and prepared her for a career in law. Then, we invite you to write about how school or extracurricular activities are setting you up to accomplish your future goals, or to share what Judge Jackson’s nomination means to you.

Warm-Up

What do you know about the Supreme Court and its role in American society?

The court states its purpose this way:

“Equal Justice Under Law” — These words, written above the main entrance to the Supreme Court Building, express the ultimate responsibility of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices, who are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by a majority vote in the Senate. Justices serve on the court for life or until they chose to retire.

What do you think are the most important qualities of a Supreme Court justice? Make a list as long as you can. Then, share your list with a partner. Which characteristics do you agree on? Which do you disagree on? Discuss your responses and explain your thinking.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s Supreme Court pick, attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. The school has an impressive reputation. What is it known for?

2. Judge Jackson has said that being on the school’s debate team “was the one activity that best prepared me for future success in law and in life.” What skills did she learn from debate that might be useful for her as a judge and, potentially, a Supreme Court justice?

3. Why do you think the author included an anecdote about Judge Jackson’s experience with prejudice at her high school? What does it tell us about the judge?

4. Why do you think the author mentioned the résumés of other debaters at the school? What point might she be trying to make about the team and about Judge Jackson?

5. What do past and present debaters at Palmetto High say they have gotten out of the debate team? Write about how one of these things might help young people navigate both school and life beyond the classroom.

6. Based on what you’ve learned about Judge Jackson, and the qualities you listed in the warm-up activity, do you think she would make a good Supreme Court justice? Give at least two reasons to support your opinion. What else would you like to know about her to be able to answer that question?

Going Further

Option 1: How is school preparing you for your future?

Judge Jackson has spoken often about how much her high school experience has meant to her and how it has prepared her for her life in law.

What are your goals, whether for a career or some other life experience? How do you think school is helping you to achieve them?

Spend a few minutes reflecting on the experiences you have had in school or extracurricular activities and then write about how you think they might prepare you for your future. Here are some prompts that can get you started:

• What has your school experience been like? What have been the best and worst parts of it for you?

• What skills have you learned that you think might be useful for a career or life experience you want to have?

• What relationships have you formed that have helped you navigate school? Do you think any of them will last into adulthood?

• What challenges have you encountered? How did you face them? What did you learn from the experience?

Option 2: Measuring Judge Jackson’s impact

If confirmed, Judge Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in its 233-year history. How significant do you think her nomination is?

To answer this question, you might spend several minutes doing your own research or exploring some of the following resources from The Times and beyond:

• Visit the official website for the Supreme Court to read the short biographies of the nine current members, see a list of all those who have served since the Court was established in 1789 and view an online exhibition that features the group photographs of each class of justices since the tradition began in 1867. What do you notice about past and present justices? How does Judge Jackson compare?

• Read more about Judge Jackson’s career and why President Biden chose her as his nominee in this article. Do you think she would make a good Supreme Court justice?

• Read this essay from the Times Editorial Board or this article from Adam Liptak, The Times’s Supreme Court reporter, about the extent to which, if confirmed, Judge Jackson could shape the Court. How much of a difference do you think she could make?

• Read an Opinion piece by Charles M. Blow, an Opinion columnist for The Times, who argues that “Nominating Supreme Court justices has always been about identity and politics. It’s just that for nearly the first two centuries of the court’s existence, the only people considered for inclusion were white men.” Do you agree?

After you’ve learned more about Judge Jackson and the context of the Court, discuss the following questions with your classmates:

• The New York Times has called Judge Jackson’s nomination “groundbreaking.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

• What would it mean to the country to have a Black woman serve as a Supreme Court justice? What would it mean to you, personally?

• How important do you think it is for a president to take into account a Supreme Court nominee’s identity?

• Would you like to see Judge Jackson confirmed? Why or why not? What qualities does she have, or lack, that you think make for an effective Supreme Court justice?

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