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| Photo Credit: AP. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The group photo of the Supreme Court’s nine members is a long-standing ritual. But it has never looked quite like the one taken on Friday.
The new
image includes Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black female justice,
who joined the court in June. With her addition, the court marks a number of
firsts. It’s the first time white men don’t hold a majority on the court and
the first time four women have served together. It’s also the first time the court
has had two Black justices.
Jackson
participated in her first arguments this week because the justices began their
summer break when she joined the court.
Friday’s
formal photo captured by news photographers is sometimes called the group’s
“class photo.” In it, the justices are positioned in front of a red curtain,
similar to their courtroom’s red drapes. Five of the justices are seated in
their black robes with Chief Justice John Roberts in the center. The four remaining
justices stand behind them. The justices sit in order of seniority with the
longest-serving justice, Justice Clarence Thomas, sitting on Roberts’ right.
Jackson is standing at the far right.
Because no
cameras are allowed in the courtroom when the justices hear arguments, the
class photo is one of the few times the group is photographed together. The
justices also were photographed together at Jackson’s ceremonial investiture
last week. A new class photo generally won’t be taken until another justice
joins the court.