WATCH: Jackson says she clears preconceived ideas, personal views when she gets a case

In the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked the Supreme Court nominee about her judicial philosophy when presented with a case.

“I am clearing my mind of any preconceived notions about how the case might come out. I’m setting aside any personal views. It’s very important that judges rule without fear or favor,” Jackson said in the hearing on March 22.

She explained that once she has “cleared the decks, so to speak,” she evaluates all the facts as they are presented to her, in hearings, briefs and the record. Finally, she added, as a lower court judge, her rulings are bound by precedent.

Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden in February to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman on the high court. After opening statements from Jackson, her colleagues and the senators March 21, senators will spend two days questioning Jackson at length about her rulings and judicial philosophy. On the final day of the hearings March 24, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from friends and colleagues of Jackson about her temperament and approach to the law.

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