AMNA NAWAZ: Supreme Court justice# Ketanji Brown Jackson is out with## a new memoir chronicling her family's# rise from segregation to her confirmation## as the first Black woman on the nation's# highest court, all in a single generation.

Geoff Bennett spoke with Justice Jackson earlier# today in New York about her memoir, "Lovely One."

GEOFF BENNETT: Justice Jackson, thanks so# much for speaking with us.

We appreciate it.

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, U.S. Supreme Court# Associate Justice: Thank you for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT: This book, your memoir, what# comes through is how your .. uniquely American story, a real powerful# testament to this country's progress.

And you write about how your parents# are the products of segregation,## but they poured into you -- and what# strikes me about your story is that## they poured into you with such powerful and# purposeful effort and deliberate intention.

What values did they impart that# really helped guide your life## and your professional journey?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well,## as I said, thank you for having me and giving me# the opportunity to talk about the book and talk## about my parents, who really did instill values# like hard work and love of country, love of self.

They had fierce pride in our African American# identity, which comes up in my name.

The book is## called "Lovely One" because that is the English# translation of my African name, given name,## Ketanji Onyika.

And my parents, you know, I just# wanted to be so much like them when I was little.

My father went back to law school when I was 3,## 4 years old.

And I remember him studying.# And that was one of my earliest memories.## And my parents were educators originally when# I was born.

And so the idea of the importance## of education and working hard and striving to# achieve something all come from my parents.

GEOFF BENNETT: As the first Black woman# to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court,## how do you perceive your role in the broader# context of American history and progress?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well,# it definitely demonstrates progress,## I think.

So many people have received# my appointment in that light.

I'm the first Black woman, as you say, but not the## first Black woman who could have done this# job.

I think about Constance Baker Motley,## who I talk about in the book and who was# a role model for me.

She was the first## African American federal judge.

And she argued# something like 11 cases in the Supreme Court.

But she grew up and came up in a# time in which it wouldn't have been## possible for her to be appointed to# the court.

And so I feel so fortunate## to be in this position.

And it shows the# progress that we have made as a country.

GEOFF BENNETT: What does being# a first mean in practical terms?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, I think it# means that we are moving now to a time in which## anyone has the opportunity to do what they want# to do in our society.

And I hope that seeing my## appointment would be motivational for children,# just like Judge Motley was motivational for me.

GEOFF BENNETT: How do you# engage with the other justices?

Justice Breyer, as I understand it, he# used to like to go to other justices## chambers and have direct conversations.# Others prefer written communication.

How## do you do it and how do you navigate# differences in legal interpretation?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:# I think a little bit of both.

I learned from Justice Breyer, who, as you# say, was a great collaborator, as someone## who really did like to gauge personally with# the other justices.

Sometimes, I go around.

But I think we probably mostly communicate# by memo and also by phone.

And you do your## best to try to persuade people that you have# the better of the argument, or at least the## way that you're thinking about it is the way# the court should approach a particular issue.

GEOFF BENNETT: You have at times aligned# in your opinions with Justice Neil Gorsuch.

But, for the most part, you're part# of a three-justice liberal minority.## How do you grapple with at times# having limited ability to sway the## outcomes of consequential,# oftentimes divisive cases?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:# Well, I'm an optimist at heart.

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: And you look at# every case and you do your best to ask the## questions at oral argument that you think might# get people thinking.

And you do your best through## your clerks and other members of your staff# to communicate with them to your position.

And you also hear their position and try# to understand where they're coming from to## bridge whatever differences there are.

But I'm# not going to lie.

It's not easy, to be sure.

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:# But I'm always of the belief## that people are persuadable.

And# that's what I'm here to try to do.

GEOFF BENNETT: Has that worked?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: In some cases, yes.

I mean, the court is a deliberative# body.

And our duty and our job is to## listen to one another and try# to come to the best decision.

GEOFF BENNETT: How do you think the court is# best positioned to maintain the public trust?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well,# maintaining the public trust is a## very important aspect of the court's# work.

This is something that Justice## Breyer talks about all the time, and# when I was clerking for him, now.

It's one of his big themes, that the court,# unlike the other branches of government,## doesn't have an army and it doesn't have power of# the purse, and so we really do have to persuade## people that the court is trustworthy in order# to ensure that the rule of law is maintained.

I think the court needs to# -- I can tell you what I do,## really focus on the role of the court in a# democratic society.

We have a constitutional## republic.

There are other branches of# government.

And so I'm really focused## on ensuring that I am staying in my lane in my# decisions and in the cases that come before us.

I'm thinking about consistency across# the various cases, regardless of who## brings the claims at issue.

And I am working# diligently to set aside my personal views,## as I did as a lower court judge and# as a judge on the Court of Appeals.

GEOFF BENNETT: On the matter of# court ethics you have said that## you are open to proposals to implement an# enforceable code of ethics for justices.

President Biden has also urged# the adoption of an 18-year term## limit for the justices.

Should there be# term limits for Supreme Court justices?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well,# here's how I'm thinking about that.

There have been debates about term limits since# the beginning of our republic.

I talk about## this in the book a little bit.

Alexander# Hamilton debated the anti-federalists as## to whether or not judges should have lifetime# appointments, and the constitutional process## was such that he won that debate, and# that's what we have now in our system.

And so it's a political process to make# a determination as to whether or not## that should be changed.

And in our democracy,# people are engaging in that debate right now.

GEOFF BENNETT: The idea, though, as President# Biden has suggested, that it's a good thing to## have more consistency in this process and that# 18 years, as he suggested, is a good approach?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, I'm# going to let the political process play out.

And people are engaged in this decision right now,# and it'll be interesting to see what we decide.

GEOFF BENNETT: The court's recent rulings# on voting rights, reproductive rights,## presidential immunity, in your view, how have# those rulings fundamentally changed American life?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, the court# hears some of the most significant cases.

That's the role of the court in our constitutional# design.

We take issues that are difficult,## because, if they weren't difficult, they wouldn't# make their way all the way to the Supreme Court.## And many of those issues, as you have indicated,# deal with pretty complicated social issues.

There are standards in the law for# when we decide to make changes.

The## court generally follows precedent.

But# there are times in which those standards,## according to a majority of the justices,# have been met and changes are made.

GEOFF BENNETT: You have written some pretty# forceful, pointed dissents in some major cases,## to include a 29-page dissent sharply criticizing## the ruling to reject affirmative# action in college admissions.

And you wrote that: "Deeming race# irrelevant in law does not make## it so in life."

And you also wrote# that time would reveal the effects.

We're already getting our first look at# the apparent impact.

MIT, Amherst College,## Tufts University report a significantly# lower number of Black students this year,## as white enrollment increases.

What do# you think are the implications of that?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, I will# leave it to your viewers to read my opinion.

In my dissent, I talked about the gaps that# have been created in our society over time## and the fact that affirmative action# was initially designed as a response## to them.

And so we will have to see what# happens as a result of where we are now.

GEOFF BENNETT: When you write a dissent,## who do you envision as the audience?

Is it the# Americ.. JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: All of the above.

You really do try to speak to a wide variety# of audiences, because, when you're dissenting,## obviously, you have not been able to persuade# your colleagues about your view of the issue.

So,## to some extent, you are writing for the public,## so that they can understand the debate# that the justices have had about the issue.

And then you hope to be writing for posterity,## because you would hope that eventually# your point of view would prevail.

GEOFF BENNETT: The process of# writing a memoir, I imagine,## makes you think about your impact.

It's# probably too early to talk about your legacy.

GEOFF BENNETT: But what -- how do you# want to shape the court moving forward?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Oh, my goodness.

Well, I would just like to do a good j.. it's pretty early to be thinking about -- how# I'd change it or how I'd stamp it.

Right now,## I just want to do the best I can to serve the# American people to the best of my ability.

GEOFF BENNETT: Looking back at your# career thus far, what are you proudest of?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Oh, there's so# many things to be proud of.

I have talked## about all of the various stages of my life# in the book and the people who contributed.

I say in the preface, no one reaches the# highest of heights on their own.

And I## really believe that.

And so I think I'm proudest# of the relationships that have sustained me,## to include my wonderful husband, without whom I# don't think any of this would have been possible.

So I think it's the relationships that I have been## able to build and have been# privileged to be a part of.

GEOFF BENNETT: We got to see your parents## during the confirmation process.# What do they think of all this?

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Oh, my goodness.

My parents are, I think, over-the-moon happy## and proud and just probably couldn't# have imagined that this would happen.

GEOFF BENNETT: Reading the book, though, I think# they could have.

I think they did imagine this.

(CROSSTALK) JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Maybe.

Maybe.

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, they# certainly wanted something wonderful to## happen and felt that it could.

And# that's why they invested so much.

And I just -- I'm most pleased that# we were able to put everything down## on paper and have such a tribute to# them while they're still with us.

GEOFF BENNETT: The memoir is terrific... Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, thank you so# much for speaking with me.

I appreciate it.

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Thank you so much.