The Legal Aid Society is praising the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court, who, if confirmed, would be the first Black woman and public defender to ascend to the nation’s highest court.

“Today is historic, and we can’t think of any better candidate to fill this vacancy than Ketanji Brown Jackson,” reads a statement from Legal Aid. “Black women have been deprived of representation on the Supreme Court for over 230 years, but Jackson’s confirmation would further shatter a concrete ceiling that has long kept the Court overwhelmingly homogeneous – 108 out of 115 justices have been white men.”

“Moreover, as a public defender, her perspective on our broken and punitive criminal legal system is needed to help curb America’s appetite for mass incarceration which largely ensnares Black and Latinx communities,” the statement continued. ” The Legal Aid Society lauds the Biden Administration for this historic nomination, and we call on the United States Senate to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson – a brilliant lawyer, talented jurist, and dedicated public servant – to the United States Supreme Court without delay.”