Black History
Black California Judge Among Frontrunner Nominees to Fill U.S. Supreme Court Vacancy
As a lawyer, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, 45, held various positions in public and private practice until she joined the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office during the Obama Administration where she argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. Married and the mother of two young children, she joined the California State Supreme Court in 2015 where her decisions have been considered a stable, left-leaning voice.
California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, 45, is one of two Black women favored for nomination by Pres. Joe Biden to the U.S. Supreme Court when Associate Justice Stephen Breyer steps down in June.
The daughter of a Jamaican mother and Jewish father — both of whom are pediatricians — Kruger was raised in Glendale, Ca., later attending Harvard University followed by Yale Law School. As a lawyer, she held various positions in public and private practice until she joined the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office during the Obama Administration where she argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. Married and the mother of two young children, she joined the California State Supreme Court in 2015 where her decisions have been considered a stable, left-leaning voice.
With Kruger or Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the other Black women considered a good choice for the job, Biden would be fulfilling a campaign promise made while he was on the road in 2020.
