[Jimmy Carter, who served a single full presidential term without the chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice, nonetheless left behind an incomparable judicial legacy. He was the first president to significantly diversify the lower federal courts by appointing female and minority judges. Carter named Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to an important Washington-based US Court of Appeals in 1980, which positioned her for eventual elevation to the Supreme Court.
During his one-term presidency, 41 of his appointees were women, making up 12 of his 59 circuit court appointees and 29 of his total 203 district court appointees. Until Carter’s tenure, only two women had ever been named as circuit court judges and six as district court judges. Ginsburg herself credited Carter with paving the way for her own eventual appointment to the Supreme Court.
Carter also appointed a record 57 people of color to the bench, including prominent federal appellate judges such as Leon Higginbotham, Amalya Kearse, and Damon Keith. His commitment to diversity and inclusion helped to break down barriers and create a more representative judiciary.
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