(Photo
by
Kevin
Lamarque-Pool/Getty
Images)
All
rise!
The
competition
for
2022
Lawyer
of
the
Year
honors
was
not
a
close
one,
not
even
one
little
bit.
Our
top
candidate
took
home
more
than
50%
of
the
vote,
while
our
second-place
finisher
(another
worthy
contender)
had
just
16%
of
the
total
tally.
In
fact,
the
new
titleholder
secured
almost
300
more
votes
than
this
year’s
silver
medalist.
Before
we
announce
which
luminary
lawyer
prevailed,
let’s
review
Above
the
Law’s
past
Lawyers
of
the
Year:
In
a
year
where
the
legitimacy
of
the
Supreme
Court
was
repeatedly
questioned,
it
makes
sense
that
the
lawyer
who
came
out
on
top
may
be
the
one
to
breathe
new
life
into
the
highest
court
in
the
land.
America
needed
a
break
from
Supreme
ethics
scandals
and
voted
for
an
attorney
who
instead
made
Supreme
history.
In
the
end,
it
was
Justice
Ketanji
Brown
Jackson,
the
high
court’s
newest
associate
justice,
who
took
home
the
title
in
our
2022
Lawyer
of
the
Year
competition.
After
more
than
two
centuries,
Jackson
is
the
sixth
woman
—
and
more
momentously,
the
first
Black
woman
—
to
serve
as
a
justice
on
the
Supreme
Court.
Jackson
is
not
your
typical
SCOTUS
justice
—
and
not
just
because
she’s
not
a
white
male.
She
is
also
the
first
former
federal
public
defender
to
ever
serve
on
the
Court.
Congratulations
to
our
Lawyer
of
the
Year
finalists,
and
very
special
congratulations
to
our
2022
Lawyer
of
the
Year,
Justice
Ketanji
Brown
Jackson.
With
her
elevation
to
the
Supreme
Court,
Jackson
offers
a
new
hope
for
women
and
for
democracy
in
America.
Each
and
every
day,
she
inspires
a
new
generation
of
women
of
color
to
consider
going
into
the
legal
profession,
and
that’s
something
that’s
truly
Supreme.
Thank
you,
Justice
Jackson.
Earlier:
Above
The
Law’s
2022
Lawyer
Of
The
Year
Contest:
The
Finalists!
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on
Twitter
or
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn.