Justice Jackson to speak at UVI event next week

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the featured speaker at a University of the Virgin Islands student convocation at 3 p.m. on Feb. 7, in the Elridge W. Blake Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas, UVI announced earlier this week.

UVI encouraged all members of the university community to participate in the event. Registration will be required for UVI students and employees. UVI President Safiya George said in the news release that the university is honored to host Jackson in what she termed a historic event. “I am excited that our students will be able to hear first-hand from Justice Jackson, who has had an inspirational career, with many achievements, as she makes monumental legal decisions serving on the highest court in the land,” George said.

Justice Jackson, who took the oath of office on June 30, 2022, is the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the first federal public defender to sit on the court, and the first justice since Thurgood Marshall to represent criminal defendants. During the convocation, Jackson will be awarded an honorary degree from UVI, recognizing her significant contributions to the legal field and her role as a trailblazer for women and people of color in the judiciary, according the UVI news release.