Famous 5: The women judges in the US Supreme Court who made history before Ketanji Brown Jackson

History was made in the United States of America when Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn-in to the Supreme Court , shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court. With her induction, Brown-Jackson, 51, has become the court’s 116th justice. She replaces retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. “Her historic swearing in today represents a profound step forward for our nation, for all the young, Black girls who now see themselves reflected on our highest court, and for all of us as Americans,” President Joe Biden said in a statement after her historic swearing-in. Jackson’s rise is, in part, due to the work of the other trailblazing women in the US judiciary. As of date, the US Supreme Court has had five other women on the bench. Here’s a look at them and their contributions to US society. Sandra Day O’Connor [caption id=“attachment_10488141” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor held a seat on America’s highest court for nearly 25 years. AFP[/caption] Sandra Day O’Connor made history by becoming the first woman to serve as a US Supreme Court justice. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, she held a seat on the nation’s highest court for nearly 25 years. Born in El Paso, she was raised and lived in Arizona. O’Connor was considered a decisive swing vote in the Supreme Court’s decisions. During her nomination, her views on abortion became a source of intense speculation. At her confirmation hearings, O’Connor was disarming, if not entirely forthcoming, about her own views. She said she was opposed to abortion as a personal matter, as “birth control or otherwise,” but she added, “I’m over the hill. I am not going to be pregnant anymore, so it is perhaps easy for me.” Over the years, she has helped preserve abortion rights in the US. In 2009, then President Barack Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a letter in 2018, she announced that she had been diagnosed with early-stage dementia and withdrew from public life. Ruth Bader Ginsburg [caption id=“attachment_10488161” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifelong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and equality for all. She has been responsible for some of the most prominent judgments concerning women’s rights in the US. AFP[/caption] Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton; she took the oath of office on 10 August 1993, and remained on the bench until she died 18 September 2020. Ginsburg dedicated her career to ensuring that marginalised groups received justice and was known for tactfully dissenting in court. Ginsburg was a lifelong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and equality for all. She has been responsible for some of the most prominent judgments concerning women’s rights in the US — in 1996, she wrote the majority opinion that it is unconstitutional for schools funded by taxpayer dollars to bar women. She also paved the way for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which passed in 1974 and allowed women to apply for credit cards and mortgages without a male co-signer. It was thanks to Ginsburg’s efforts that women found their way on juries. Up until 1979, jury duty was considered optional for women in the US. However, she fought to require women to serve on juries on the basis that their civic duty should be valued the same as men’s. In 2015, she joined the court in bringing marriage equality to every state via the Obergefell v Hodges ruling. Sonia Sotomayor [caption id=“attachment_10488171” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic and Latina justice of the US Supreme Court. AFP[/caption] Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic and Latina justice of the Supreme Court when she was appointed by Barack Obama in 2009 to fill a seat vacated by the retirement of David Souter. Sotomayor has described herself as someone who might not be traditional, but that she is spiritual. Sotomayor has spoken on the “cultural biases” against communities of colour that can be built into standardised testing, making it harder for groups like the Latino community to attend law school. Elena Kagan [caption id=“attachment_10488181” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Elena Kagan is considered centrist and has been referred to as a “bridge builder.” AFP[/caption] Elena Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court in 2009 was somewhat unconventional, as she had never previously worked as a judge. Before being nominated by Barack Obama, Kagan served as an adviser to President Bill Clinton, worked briefly as the US solicitor general under Obama — the first woman to hold that title — and was the first-ever woman named dean of Harvard Law School, serving from 2003-09. Kagan is considered centrist and has been referred to as a “bridge builder.” Amy Coney Barrett [caption id=“attachment_10488191” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  US president Donald Trump applauds Judge Amy Coney Barrett after she was sworn in as a US Supreme Court Associate Justice. AFP[/caption] Amy Coney Barrett was nominated by Donald Trump in 2020 after the passing of Ginsburg. Her nomination and appointment became a heated political battle because it took place right before the presidential election, and Ginsburg didn’t want her replacement to be chosen until the election determined who the president would be. The then Republican-controlled Senate voted 52-48 for her nomination and she was sworn in. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.