58 pages • 1 hour read
Ketanji Brown JacksonLovely One
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 2, Chapters 15-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2, Chapter 15 Summary: “A Year Like No Other”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and racism.
Jackson was both excited and overwhelmed by her new position as a clerk to Justice Breyer. One of her tasks was to collaborate with other clerks to decide which cases the Supreme Court would agree to rule on and which to reject. Since they could only choose 83 from over 7,000 cases, this was a difficult task. Contributing to decisions that would affect millions of people’s rights was an immense burden, exacerbated by the fact that Jackson had to keep her work knowledge completely confidential. Jackson’s commitment to her job took up almost all her time, and her husband did more of the housework to support her, which she greatly appreciated.
Justice Breyer was a high-energy and outgoing justice who would often make abrupt appearances to his clerks, asking them to scribe some thoughts on an argument or decision. While Jackson found the job demanding, she appreciated Breyer’s kindness and optimism, and she respected his intelligence. Jackson and Breyer’s other clerks learned to respond instantly to their boss’s needs and support each other. In hindsight, Jackson better understands the pressure and responsibility of the job of 
