Will Biden add a Black woman to SCOTUS?

The retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer presents an opportunity.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE     CLOSING THE GAP Thursday, January 27, 2022 This week's newsletter is written by CNBC Make It work editor Hanna Howard. You can follow Hanna on Twitter @_hannahoward.   On Wednesday, as news broke of long-serving Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement from the U.S.'s highest court, many turned their attention to a campaign promise President Joe Biden made to appoint the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice.   "We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be in the court," he said during a news conference in Delaware in June 2020.   And not long after Breyer's impending retirement went public, the administration stood by the earlier claim. "The president has stated and reiterated his commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court and certainly stands by that," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a news conference Wednesday.   Biden has already taken steps to diversify America's federal courts. So far in his term, he has nominated eight Black women to the U.S. Court of Appeals (five of whom have been confirmed) — the most such nominations of any president. Still, about 80% of the federal judiciary is white, according to The 19th.   Though an appointment won't change the court's conservative majority, and some have expressed skepticism that Biden will be able to get his nominee through, putting a Black woman on the bench would make history, not only as the first Black woman but also as only the third Black justice in the Supreme Court's history. It would also be the only time two Black justices have served at the same time and the only time four women justices have served at the same time (which is truly mind-blowing).   All of that may make you wonder: Who does Biden have in mind?    While the list he hinted at in 2020 has not been made public, political watchers have some guesses as to who he might tap, including:   Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (rumored to be top of the list) Leondra Kruger, California Supreme Court justice Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit Eunice Lee, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals of the 2nd Circuit J. Michelle Childs, judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina   Make It's Ashton Jackson gave us a look into each woman's bio and experience. But we'll have to wait and see who Biden ultimately picks.   What's most important to you as Biden nominates a new justice?  Share your thoughts with us at askmakeit@cnbc.com    More articles from Closing the Gap Recent college grad survey shows gender pay gap already impacting class of 2020 Experts have pointed to many potential reasons the wage gap exists and persists. Some say the pay gap can be in part explained by women historically pursuing degrees and careers in lower-paying fields. Others have suggested that women tend to earn less than men because they are more likely to prioritize family responsibilities throughout their careers. But recent data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers that shows the class of 2020 already experiencing a wage gap provides some important context for those claims. Read More How much do others make for the same job? Here's where employers are required by law to share salary ranges when hiring Do you know how much your co-workers make for the same job? Or how much your company is offering new hires? As some states and cities enact salary transparency laws, you may be one step closer to knowing if you're truly paid what you're worth — and experts say new policies may help close gender and racial pay gaps. Read More Mark Cuban gave this 19-year-old founder a $400,000 'Shark Tank' deal — and asked her to meet his 2 daughters Billionaire investor Mark Cuban got choked up — a first, according to the other investors on the show — after hearing 19-year-old start-up founder Tania Speaks pitch her beauty company, Tania Speaks Organic Skincare. Cuban then offered Speaks $400,000 in return for a 15% stake in her company, but the deal came with a caveat: Cuban wanted Speaks to teach his two teenage daughters how she built her business. Read More Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Digital Products   Feedback Terms of Service Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBC Universal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS