Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s financial disclosures reveal a $2.1 million pay bump.
June 16, as a part of the high court’s yearly reporting, Justice Jackson’s financials were released. Through the release of her memoir, “Lovely One,” the Supreme Court judge earned millions in additional income. Random House published Lovely One in September 2024. The publishing house paid Jackson a $2 million advance, according to the Associated Press.
As the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court, many are interested in Justice Jackson’s journey. Her path to the history-making achievement appropriately commanded a fitting price. Jackson is not the only Supreme Court justice who is supplementing their income by securing a book deal.
In 2024, Justice Neil Gorsuch released Overruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law. Additionally, to date, Justice Sotomayor has published seven works, many of which have been translated into English and Spanish.
During the release of her book, Justice Jackson spoke about the accomplishment. While touring to promote her album “Lovely Ones,” Jackson said with NPR about what inspires her. Her inspiration informs her steps to pen a memoir while simultaneously working as a Supreme Court Justice. This job places her comfortably in the upper-middle class, with a salary of over $300,000.
“I love the idea that in order to be successful, it takes hard work,” Jackson says. “You can’t always control whether you’re the smartest person in the room, for example, but you [can] commit to being the hardest worker.”
Justice Jackson’s transparency comes without scandal. However, not all Justices can say the same. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been the subject of scrutiny over his past nondisclosures to the court. Thomas has been the recipient of lavish gifts throughout his 33-year tenure on the high court.
BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on Justice Thomas amending his disclosures to reflect real estate from top Republican donor Harlan Crow. The deal allowed Thomas’s family members to live on three of Harlow’s properties rent-free for an indefinite period.
Thomas was also given trips abroad, including transportation by private jet and free lodging from Crow.
Justice Thomas claimed the trips to the Adirondacks were taken on his time. Thus, he felt no need to disclose the information. As he has sat on the court for more than three decades, many are skeptical of his excuse. While members of Congress called for the Justice’s impeachment, he remains a member of the court.
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