Let Ketanji Brown Jackson Live Her Dream: Stephen L. Carter

The reviews are in for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s one-night-only appearance in the Broadway musical & Juliet last weekend, and they’re mostly raves. It’s exciting that she’s realized a lifelong dream, if only for a walk-on. Still, my scholarly side would be amiss not to interject a small voice of caution.

First, a bit of history. There’s nothing new about judges acting. The best-known example is surely Harry Blackmun, who was a sitting Supreme Court justice when he had a cameo as Justice Joseph Story in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film Amistad. Back in 1922, one Henry D. Clayton, at the time ...