Black law students gather in DC for Judge Jackson’s historic hearing – WFTV

WASHINGTON, DC, Fla. – More than 100 black law students and public defenders from across the country have been to Washington DC for the historic confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Jackson’s hearing comes as less than 5 percent of lawyers nationwide are African Americans, according to the American Bar Association.

For law student Niya Young, this moment is inspiring. She said she wants to be a public defender eventually a judge.

“It’s breathtaking – representation is so important,” said Young, a third-year law student at the University of Missouri School of Law.

Damon Davis was also one of the 100 black law students who took the trip to DC. He described the moment in one sentence.

“Hope – for the people I want to fight for,” he said.

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This effort was organized by Demand Justice, the National Black Law Student Association and the Black Public Defender Association.

For Davis, pursuing a career in law is personal.

“I spent five years in a federal prison,” he said.

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Davis was released in 2011 and now he wants to become a public defender like Jackson.

“She’s a beacon of hope for people, and people intend to represent in my career,” said Davis, a third-year law student at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

This group gathered along with dozens of black female public defenders outside the Supreme Court ahead of Jackson’s hearing on Monday.

Read: Jackson promises to decide cases ‘without fear or advantage’

Young said this presence sends a message of support.

“Yes, we are the minority, but black women have been at the forefront of our politics and our criminal justice system,” she said.

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