Jackson’s Breadth Would Set Her Apart on Supreme Court (1)

Ketanji Brown Jackson combines a powerful resume with the potential to fill long-standing gaps at the U.S. Supreme Court.

She fulfills President Joe Biden’s promise to nominate the first Black woman to the court while bringing an unusual set of professional experiences, including a background as a public defender and a record of work on disparities in criminal punishment.

“That’s an asset,” said Rachel Barkow, a New York University law professor who worked with Jackson on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. “We just haven’t had people with that experience on there.”

Jackson, 51, also has the pedigree of other justices: ...