Monday’s confirmation hearings will take place on Capitol Hill for Judge Ketanji Jackson Jackson, the nominee to the Supreme Court. She would be the first African American woman on the highest court of the country if she is confirmed.
This distinction was praised by Lisa Fairfax, her friend and law professor.
Fairfax spoke to CBS News’ Nancy Cordes, “The unmitigated joy at seeing someone I love nominated. Why I’m still smiling right here and probably getting ready for tears up.”
Fairfax was also believed by Antoinette and Nina Coakley, as well as Jackson.
Through a Jackson-organized study group, the four women met their freshman year at Harvard University. They went on to Harvard Law School together.
Simmons stated, “We met, we bonded. We became roommates and then we became lifelong friendships.”
Jackson was known for her ability to wake up early and encourage her friends to do the same. Jackson taught her friends her method for writing essays. It involved her jotting down her points on notecards, then organizing them on the ground.
Coakley, a Northeastern University law professor, said that he started receiving A’s on his Harvard papers.
Coakley predicted that her roommate would one day be the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
“I thought that if ever there was a chance for someone from our family to rise to these heights, it would have been her. She had to be it. Coakley stated that she had the intelligence, brilliance and ability to bring people together.
Fairfax, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, calls Jackson “one of most intelligent jurists of our generation.” But Fairfax says Jackson spoke like a lawyer long before she entered law school.
Fairfax stated, “You are in this space with someone and everyone pauses when they talk.” People feel awkward after they have finished talking. She said it so well that I couldn’t even imagine what else to say. She was the one who said it all.
Fairfax was overcome with emotion when she heard about Jackson’s nomination.
“I pulled over. “I just sat in my car. I am sobbing hysterically. She said that her hands were shaking.
Next week Jackson will be subject to rounds of questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee over four days of hearings.
Coakley stated, “I have been sending her scriptures, prayers, and songs that I know will encourage her and inspire her because this is an awful lot.”
Fairfax said that their friends were each other’s “hype teams” during their lives and every step in their careers.
Simmons stated, “She has superpowers but sometimes she needs someone who can hold her cape.” “And that’s what we’re here for.”
If confirmed Judge Jackson will also become the first ex-public defender to the highest court.
“Our legal system demands different perspectives,” Fairfax said. Fairfax stated, “And it’s great news to have someone on the bench who has a different perspective and comes from a different background. We believe that it is important to have diversity, especially at the highest court of the land. That’s why we believe we have nine instead of one.
