The most powerful court in the nation recently welcomed a new member. On October 26, Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as a justice, or judge, on the U.S. Supreme Court. She is only the fifth woman appointed to the Court since it was formed in 1789. She replaced the second female justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September at age 87 (see below).
When a justice dies or retires, it’s the president’s job to nominate someone to fill the empty seat. The U.S. Senate then must approve or reject the president’s choice.
President Donald Trump selected Barrett, who had spent more than a decade as a university law professor and served as a federal judge since 2017. The Senate later approved the nomination by a vote of 52 to 48.
Barrett soon got to work, ruling along with her fellow justices on cases that will have a lasting impact on the country.