Sentencing-Commission Years Prepped Jackson for High-Court Job

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s work on the U.S. Sentencing Commission led her and members of different ideologies to reach consensus on hot-button issues.

Consensus in contentious matters on the Supreme Court can be more elusive, but Jackson’s experience on the sentencing commission at a pivotal moment in its history will help her and the court if she’s confirmed, according to lawyers with commission experience and scholars who’ve studied the organization.

“It’s a space where you just have to work with people who don’t think the same way you do,” said Rachel Barkow, an NYU law professor and former Supreme Court ...