6/30/22 - New Supreme Court Justice

Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire and will step down as a Supreme Court Justice today.

WASHINGTON - Associate Justice Stephen Breyer will retire from the U.S. Supreme Court today after the court issues its final set of rulings for this term.

Breyer has served on the court for nearly 28 years.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, will take the oath of office today and make history as she will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.  She is a Harvard-trained lawyer and former public defender and Maimi native who became a judge on a federal appeals court. 

Jackson was confirmed by the Senate nearly three months ago.

Chief Justice John Roberts will administer one oath of office to Jackson and Breyer will administer the other.  Jackson clerked for Breyer more than 20 years ago.   She will become the 104th associate justice. 

Justices will take a break and return to Washington in October with Jackson in her seat. There will be four women and two African Americans on the nation's highest bench for the first time in the court's 233-year history.