money Brett Kavanaugh praises newcomer Ketanji Brown Jackson as a 'thoroughly prepared' justice who's 'off to a great start'
Justice Brett Kavanaugh praised fellow Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
"She's off to a great start," Kavanaugh said of the newest member of the Supreme Court.
Jackson has captured widespread attention since she joined the court last fall.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh heaped praise on fellow Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Supreme Court's newest member who first took the bench last fall.
"She is fully prepared — thoroughly prepared," Kavanaugh said of his colleague during a Notre Dame Law School event on Monday, calling preparation "the number one thing" that "makes a good judge."
"She's off to a great start," Kavanaugh continued, adding that Jackson "hit the ground running" and fits in well with the group.
Jackson, who's seated next to Kavanaugh on the bench, has received widespread attention in the legal world less than four months into her tenure at the Supreme Court. Observers have remarked how quickly and comfortably Jackson has been settling into her new role, speaking up often during oral arguments and engaging in lengthy back-and-forths with counsel. Progressives have also commended Jackson for what they see as her challenging conservative legal thinking on a 6-3 conservative-majority court.
Appointed by President Joe Biden last spring, Jackson made history as the first Black woman confirmed to the nation's highest court, replacing retired Justice Stephen Breyer.
Jackson joined the court following a historic term featuring high-profile decisions that overturned abortion rights, expanded gun rights and strengthened religious rights. The current term is also shaping up to be a blockbuster as the court considers the role of race in university admissions, voting rights, and Biden's $10,000 student-debt cancelation, among other politically divisive issues.
Jackson's arrival also came during an era of low public approval ratings for the Supreme Court and rumblings of a lack of trust within the institution, even between justices, because of last spring's leak in the major abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. In a report released last week, the court announced that investigators failed to identify the source of the unprecedented leak.
But according to Kavanaugh, all of the justices are getting along just fine.
"My experience with the court, in my four and a half years and at this moment, is there ar great relations among all nine justices, both personally and professionally," he said during the Notre Dame conversation.
"We work well together, and we get along well together," Kavanaugh added.
The Trump appointee also struck a positive tone about the future of the court and the country.
"We get a lot of criticism, we get a lot of heat as judges," Kavanaugh said. "And I constantly think about being optimistic. I'm optimistic about the court, I'm optimistic about the country, I'm optimistic about my colleagues."
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