Former President Jimmy Carter made a significant impact on the federal judiciary during his single term in the White House, appointing a record number of 262 federal judges, more than any other single-term president in U.S. history. Carter’s judicial appointments were diverse and barrier-breaking, as he appointed 57 minority judges and 41 female jurists, paving the way for women and minorities to serve on the federal bench. His appointments helped reshape the federal bench and contributed to the diversification of the judiciary, making it more reflective of the populations they served.
Carter’s efforts to diversify the bench were aided by his creation of the Circuit Court Nominating Commissions, which were tasked with identifying potential judicial candidates to make the U.S. courts more representative of the population. The judges appointed by Carter not only helped diversify the federal judiciary but also played a crucial role in shaping the court opinions handed down at the district and appellate court level. Carter’s impact on the judiciary was significant and far-reaching, setting the stage for future generations of diverse and inclusive judges.
While Carter did not have the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice during his presidency, he had planned to nominate a woman, Judge Shirley Hufstedler, to the Supreme Court if a vacancy had opened up. Hufstedler was the first woman to serve as an appellate court judge, and Carter viewed her as a top candidate for the Supreme Court. However, it would be Carter’s successor, Ronald Reagan, who ultimately nominated the first female Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, in 1981. Carter’s judicial legacy extended beyond his presidency, as two of his appellate court nominees, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, went on to serve on the Supreme Court.
Both Breyer and Ginsburg, who were appointed by Carter to the U.S. Appeals Courts, were later appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s. Both justices made significant contributions to the court, with Breyer retiring in 2022 and being replaced by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated by President Biden. Ginsburg, known for her trailblazing work on gender discrimination, passed away in 2020 and was replaced by Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Ginsburg credited Carter for his work in reshaping the judiciary, specifically noting that women were not on the federal bench in significant numbers until Carter became president.
In public speeches, Ginsburg praised Carter for his efforts to diversify the judiciary, stating that Carter deserved tremendous credit for appointing women and minorities to the federal bench. His impact on the federal judiciary was profound and long-lasting, shaping the composition of the courts and paving the way for a more representative and inclusive judiciary. Carter’s legacy in the judiciary continues to be felt today, as his appointments, particularly Breyer and Ginsburg, have left an indelible mark on the nation’s highest court and the legal system as a whole.
