Ketanji Brown Jackson: Security Need 'Most Startling' Part of Supreme Court

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recently shared a candid look at life on the nation's highest court during a conversation with former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson. Amid her historic appointment as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Jackson spoke openly about the realities of the role and the challenges that come with it. Among the biggest she said, was the "need for security."

Her comments come at a time when the Supreme Court continues to face intense public scrutiny. Justices have increasingly spoken about the concerns of serving in such a high-profile position, including worries over security.

Recent discussions involving Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan have also highlighted the unique responsibilities , public attention and challenges that accompany service on the nation's highest judicial body.

In the Wednesday conversation with the former first lady on the IMO podcast, Jackson was asked about the highs and lows of having a lifetime-appointed position on the Supreme Court.

"I think the thing that has been most startling in a way, is the need for security in a way that you didn't have before that I had never experienced," she said. Jackson noted her time on the lower courts but highlighted there was not the same need for security.

"It has meant really having to adjust my life. I can't just go out in any meaningful way as I used to, and that can be a downside, just not being able to live a normal life," she said. "It's certainly a privilege to do the work and to have the platform," she added.

Obama also asked Jackson how she is careful to remain unbiased while living her life.

"No, you really have to be focused on that. There are employees in the court, who in the legal office of the court and the public information office of the court who are assisting us in that way. When I get invitations to do things, I always have them screened by the legal office, the public information office, just to make sure that there are no ethical conflicts, that this is not a fundraiser. You know, there are lots of limits on what judges can do," Jackson responded.

"And I try to be very, very mindful and scrupulous with respect to that, because as you say, our obligation is to be unbiased in our approach. And so, you have to then navigate all the sources that could make for an appearance of partiality, which you want to avoid."

The former first lady also asked why Jackson went to law school. "I had always, always wanted to be a lawyer. I thought it was the highest and best use of my time and talent. My parents raised me to be a public servant. They were public servants," she said in part.

The Supreme Court's concerns about security have also moved into the halls of Congress. In a rare appearance before lawmakers, Justices Barrett and Kagan urged Congress to approve millions of dollars in additional funding to strengthen protections for the High Court, citing a sharp rise in threats against justices and their families.

The court's budget request includes increased funding for security, additional police officers, and enhanced physical and cybersecurity measures designed to address an increasingly threatened environment.

Barrett shared that she had been given a bulletproof vest on at least one occasion and described how "swatting" incidents and other threats have disrupted her family's daily life.

The request highlights growing bipartisan concern that Supreme Court justices have become increasingly vulnerable as political tensions and public scrutiny surrounding the court continue to bubble.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh also faced heightened security threats after an armed man was arrested outside his Maryland home in 2022.

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