Joe Biden's historic move to appoint U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate was not only a significant moment for his presidency but also the beginning of a more diverse set of leaders occupying some of the most powerful offices in government.

The former vice president had long said he would be appointing a woman to the second-highest office in the country. In Feb. 2020, Biden also pledged to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court should he be given the chance to do so, according to The Associated Press. Though the highest court in the land has seen its fair share of minority representation in its 231-year history, none to the extent of a Black woman as an associate or chief justice.

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the Court's first Hispanic and Latina justice when President Barack Obama appointed her. Her appointment was significant for progressives in addition to being a symbolic victory for Latinx communities.

All eyes will be on Biden to ensure he makes good on his offer to also heighten minority representation on the Court. Just like the more than 100 Black men who urged him to select a Black woman as vice president, the same energy should be maintained when it comes to the possibility of the 77-year-old selecting an associate justice.

In recent decades, the typical credential for a Supreme Court appointee has been prior service on one of the country's twelve regional federal courts of appeals. There are many qualified and capable Black women who fit that mold.

So we compiled a list of nine Black women from across the country with the credentials to make Biden's shortlist for the Supreme Court. Though all qualified in their own regard, they were arranged from most to least likely based on their previous history of being considered for the role.

Leondra-Kruger

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