Today, confirmation hearings begin for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will make history as the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice.

“Our environmental laws are only as strong as the judges who uphold them, and Judge Jackson’s record shows that she will decide cases based on facts, science, and settled law — not political ideology,” said Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen. “With her stellar qualifications and her lived experiences as a federal judge and public defender and as a Black woman in this country, Judge Jackson will bring essential perspectives to the Supreme Court. As the Court takes up questions with profound implications for people’s lives, our climate and environment, and our democracy, we need someone with the temperament and judicial qualifications to uphold the law with fairness and a deep commitment to justice. Judge Jackson is that person.”

Judge Jackson enjoys widespread support in the environmental community. In anticipation of her confirmation hearing, 51 environmental groups — including Earthjustice — sent a letter of support to Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley highlighting her qualifications and urging the Senate to confirm her as swiftly as possible.

“We support the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson because she is a well-qualified and fair-minded judge who understands the power and responsibility the federal government has under the Constitution to protect the environment and public health, who knows how to evaluate difficult questions about administrative law and complex regulations, and who understands the need to keep the courthouse doors open to those seeking justice,” the groups wrote. “We strongly urge you to support her nomination and vote to confirm her as the next Associate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.”