Penn Law professor Lisa Fairfax introduced her longtime friend Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at her Senate confirmation hearing on March 21, 2022.
Penn Law School professor Lisa Fairfax was one of two of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s colleagues who introduced the United States Supreme Court Justice nominee at her Senate confirmation earlier this week.
During Fairfax's introduction, which was delivered to the Senate on March 21, Fairfax highlighted her longtime friendship with Jackson. Judge Thomas Griffith, a former D.C. circuit court of appeals judge, also introduced Jackson at the Senate meeting.
According to the introduction, Fairfax and Jackson were roommates at Harvard University during both their undergraduate and law school years. Fairfax said that Jackson "defines friendship" and always worked to ensure that others knew they belonged and were valued.
“She's the friend you are immediately drawn to for their outgoing and friendly nature,” Fairfax said during the hearing. “As our circle of friends grew, she's the one who became the rock for us all.”
Fairfax previously told CBS News about the “unmitigated joy” that came from seeing someone she loved receiving the nomination.
Fairfax did not respond to multiple requests for comment about her experience delivering the introduction.
Jackson was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden on Feb. 25 to potentially replace Justice Stephen Breyer after he leaves after the court’s current term this summer. She would be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice, if confirmed.
The confirmation hearings, led by the Senate Judiciary Committee, are set to last for four days, until this Thursday, March 24. Shortly after the hearings this week, the Judiciary Committee will hold a vote which, if approved, the entire Senate will consider the nomination.
While Jackson’s nomination was met with bipartisan support, the confirmation process has not been a cross-party effort in recent years.
In the past, it was common for the Senate to confirm Supreme Court nominees unanimously or with only a few votes in opposition, according to a recent study by the Brookings Institution. According to the same study, however, the last three Supreme Court justices to be confirmed — all nominated by former President Donald Trump — only received four Democratic votes in total.
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