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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared on the cover of the most recent issue of Essence magazine, spurring critics to argue that she is seeking publicity in ways that are inappropriate for a member of the Supreme Court.
“Supreme Court Justices are not celebrities and should not be treated like celebrities,” Andrew Fleischman, a Georgia trial and appeal lawyer, wrote of the cover.
The magazine’s cover features a picture of Jackson wearing a purple coat and smiling directly at the reader. Underneath Jackson’s photo is a caption that reads “the people’s champion.”
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Essence Magazine describes itself as the “premiere lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazine for African-American women.”
“As America celebrates its 250th birthday, ESSENCE is honored to unveil the first magazine cover of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic career,” Essence tweeted on the 4th of July, accompanied by a photo of the cover.
“As the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, there is no better moment to celebrate her extraordinary legacy. Ketanji Brown Jackson represents the American Dream and serves as a powerful voice for those simply seeking the God-given birthrights promised to every American,” the tweet continued.
Jackson’s public appearances outside the court have drawn periodic criticism from some conservatives and legal observers, who argue that events such as the Grammy Awards, Broadway appearances and a Vogue photoshoot risk blurring the line between judicial service and celebrity.
“Ketanji Brown Jackson isn’t supposed to be ‘the people’s champion,’” Billy Binion, a reporter for a libertarian magazine, wrote on X. “She’s not a politician. She’s supposed to interpret the law, not make it. This kind of thing is why so many people misunderstand how our government works at a basic level.”
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“Supreme Court justices shouldn’t be celebrities,” Laura Powell, a civil liberties attorney, wrote of the cover. “They don’t have to run for office and don’t need political slogans like ‘The People’s Champion.’ They should simply do their job of interpreting the law according to constitutional principles.”
Jackson is not the only justice whose outside activities have drawn scrutiny. Other members of the court have reported book income, teaching payments, travel reimbursements and gifts in annual financial disclosures.
Sitting Supreme Court Justices have previously appeared on magazine covers, including the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2015 and Sonia Sotomayor in 2009.
Michelle Zier, an adjunct professor at Concordia University Chicago, pointed out that Alexander Hamilton explicitly warned that the judges would need to avoid the temptation to be seen as champions of the people.
“But it is easy to see that it would require an uncommon portion of fortitude in the judges to do their duty as faithful guardians of the Constitution, where legislative invasions of it had been instigated by the major voice of the community,” Hamilton wrote in Federalist 78.
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Even some on the left took issue with Jackson’s magazine cover.
“Obviously, nowhere near the worst or weirdest thing is sitting justice has done but yeah we really need that SCOTUS code of ethics,” Sam Weinberg, who runs a progressive advocacy group, wrote of the cover.
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Responding to criticism over her attendance at the Grammy Awards, Jackson argued that part of her job is “public outreach and education.”
“When the justices are on recess — which is what we are doing right now — we really have an opportunity to go out into the community in various different ways,” she told The View in February.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Supreme Court and Essence magazine on Monday.
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