Overview
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told Michelle Obama on the IMO podcast that justices must avoid the appearance of partiality and be “very, very mindful and scrupulous” in public engagements.
- Jackson said court staff in the legal office and the public information office screen her speaking invitations to check for ethical conflicts and to ensure events are not fundraisers.
- She described limits on judges’ use of social media and said they have little time for news, noting that judges generally cannot participate on social platforms.
- The July 30 podcast appearance drew immediate mocking and criticism from conservative outlets and some Republican officials, who called the forum ironic and questioned Jackson’s optics.
- Opinion columnists and commentators used the episode to renew broader concerns about judicial legitimacy, citing past incidents as examples of why high-profile partisan associations can deepen doubts about the Court.