Ketanji Brown Jackson received her official appointment to the Supreme Court on Friday (September 30) during the traditional investiture ceremony. It was the first time the attorney took her seat on the bench and cemented her place as the court’s first black judge. Her loving husband for 25 years, Patrick G JacksonShe was by her side, holding her hand and kissing her after the historic event as seen below.
Update (06/30/22): Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice on Thursday, June 30, about two months after his confirmation by the Senate. Of course, when his wife was sworn in on this historic occasion, Patrick was there to show his support. Chief Justice john roberts, those who took the oath called him and their daughters Talia and Leila out before the judge was sworn in. “I want Dr. Patrick Jackson who is here, to acknowledge her husband and their daughters Talia and Leila,” he said.
Update (4/7/22): Ketanji Brown Jackson was upheld for the Supreme Court on Thursday, April 7. Her husband was extremely supportive throughout the confirmation process. She is to be sworn in after the judiciary Stephen Breyer retiring at the end of June, per CNN.
Original: Ketanji Brown Jackson nears confirmation as Supreme Court Justice after two other GOP senators announced their votes. Senator from Alaska Lisa Murkowski and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney will both vote to confirm Kentaji as a judge. Both Republican senators agree SuzanneCollins from Maine, making it likely that her vote plus the support of the Democratic senators will be enough to win the position.
Love how Ketanji’s hubby keeps crying. pic.twitter.com/325HWQHOdl
— Renee (@PettyLupone) March 21, 2022
When Ketnaji gave her opening remarks at the Supreme Court Confirmation hearing, her husband was DR Patrick G Jackson was right by her side on Monday March 21st. As his wife gave a moving speech about why she qualifies for the country’s highest court, her husband was seen crying as he watched. The SCOTUS candidate even thanked her husband in her statement. “I would like to introduce you to my 25-year-old husband: Dr. Patrick Jackson. I have no doubt that none of this would have been possible without him by my side from the start of this incredible professional journey. We met in college more than three decades ago and since then he has been the best husband, father and friend I could wish for. Patrick, I love you,” she said. Find out everything you need to know about Patrick Jackson here!
1. Patrick is a surgeon
As introduced by his wife, Patrick has been a surgeon for over two decades. He is a Washington DC based surgeon for MedStar Georgetown Hospital. His areas of expertise include abdominal wall reconstruction, cholecystectomy and much more. He graduated from Columbia University Medical School in 1995 and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.
2. Patrick & Ketanji have been married since 1996
Ketanji and Patrick married in 1996, but they met when they were both students at Harvard through the Miami Herald. While Patrick was completing his medical residencies and fellowships, Ketanji moved with him to Boston, where she gave birth to her first daughter, she said in a March 2017 talk.
Given the couple’s emotional moment during Ketanji’s opening statement, it should come as no surprise that they seem like the perfect couple! Ketanji opened up about the couple’s unlikely pairing during the talk, calling her husband “a typical ‘Boston brahmin'” before mentioning how different their upbringings were. “He and his twin brother are actually the sixth generation in their family to graduate from Harvard College. On the other hand, I am only the second generation in my family any College, and I’m pretty sure if you traced my family line back to my grandparents — who, by the way, grew up in Georgia — you’d find that my ancestors were slaves on both sides,” she said. Though their lives may have been different before meeting, she also says they share similar habits. “Patrick and I are indeed those long-suffering people who go to bed early and get up early.”
3. He has two daughters with Ketanji
Patrick and Ketanji are parents to two young women: talia, 21, and Leila, 17, and Patrick is clearly not the only one excited about Ketanji’s SCOTUS nomination. In fact, Leila once wrote an emotional letter to the then-President Barack Obama to nominate her for the Supreme Court when she was eleven. “She’s determined, honest, and never breaks a promise, even when she’d rather be doing other things. She can show commitment and is loyal and never brags. I think she would make a great Supreme Court Justice,” she wrote loudly in the letter The Associated Press.
4. He is related to Paul Ryan by marriage
One of the most interesting facts that came out about Ketanji when her nomination was announced was that she was related to the former House Speaker Paul Ryan. The connection to the former Republican presidential candidate came about through the marriage of Patrick’s twin brother. Patrick’s brother Wilhelm is married with Dana Little Jacksonwho is the wife of the former House Speaker Janna Ryans Sister. With her family connection, Paul was an advocate for Ketanji, even across the aisle. When Ketanji was announced as a SCOTUS nomination, he tweeted his congratulations. “Janna and I are incredibly happy for Ketanji and her entire family. Our policies may differ, but my praise for Ketanji’s intellect, character and integrity is unequivocal,” he wrote.
Janna and I are incredibly happy for Ketanji and her entire family. Our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanji's intellect, for her character, and for her integrity, is unequivocal.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) February 25, 2022
Paul had also served as her character witness when she was appointed a district court judge in 2012. He made a similar statement but mentioned that they are related through his in-laws. “She is an amazing person and I highly commend your attention,” he said.
5. He has raved about Ketanji on many occasions
Patrick has shown to be an incredibly supportive husband and clearly adores his wife. He tweeted about his love for Ketanji on his now-deleted Twitter account via The Associated Press. “Happy Love Day! I’m especially grateful to be going through life with a brilliant and compassionate partner who still takes my breath away, made possible by sacrifices like Richard and Mildred Loving,” he wrote in a tweet commemorating the Loving Supreme Court decision against Va.
This isn’t the only time Patrick has shown how much he likes his wife. Early in her career, Patrick went to court after his shifts in the hospital to see what his wife was doing in her early days as a legal clerk. Federal Judge Patti Saris said he raised some red flags for some people in court who didn’t know him when he appeared exhausted after his time in the hospital in a March 2021 interview NPR. She said a court marshal thought he was homeless and offered to take him out of court. While he might look out of place in the courtroom, he certainly loved having his wife watching her at work after long hours in the hospital!
