On June 30, 2022, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made history by becoming the first African American woman to be sworn in as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. We had a chance to discuss this monumental day with Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. In Episode 2, Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby, who authored a 2010 law review article titled Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation's Highest Courts, discusses the historic meaning of Justice Jackson's ascension to our nation’s highest court, why diversity in the appellate judiciary is so critical to our judicial systems, and how events in the past few years created an environment ripe for Justice Jackson’s appointment in 2022.
Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby was sworn in as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on March 17, 2017. Prior to being designated Chief Judge, she was nominated by President George W. Bush in August 2006 to serve as an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Before that, Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby, nominated by President Bill Clinton, served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2000-2006, and served as a Magistrate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1995-2000.
Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby is married to Judge Robert R. Rigsby, Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, former corporation counsel for the District of Columbia, and a retired colonel and military judge of the United States Army Reserves. They are the proud parents of a son, Julian Rigsby, who recently graduated from Elon University.
Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby also holds a special place in history as being a part of the first sitting mother-daughter judicial team in the country. Her mother, Judge Laura D. Blackburne, was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 1995 and in 1999 she was elected to the New York State Supreme Court. Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby had wonderful public servant role models in her mother and father who supported her and inspired her throughout her career.
Our Hosts this Week:
E. Bahati Mutisya, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bahati-mutisya
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer
Special Guest Host:
Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
https://www.dccourts.gov/court-of-appeals/judges/chief-rigsby-anna-page
Resource Guide:
"Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation’s Highest Courts"
https://www.nawj.org/uploads/pdf/black_women_judges_by_anna_blackburne_rigsby_howard_law_journal.pdf
