Jimmy Carter, despite serving only one term as president and never having the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice, profoundly reshaped the federal judiciary.
Carter was the first president to make a concerted effort to diversify the lower federal courts, appointing a significant number of women and minority judges—a milestone frequently celebrated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In 1980, Carter appointed Ginsburg to the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, a position that later paved her path to the Supreme Court.
During Carter’s presidency, women became a notable presence among judicial appointees for the first time. According to a Congressional Research Service report, 41 of Carter’s judicial appointees were women. This included 12 of his 59 circuit court appointments and 29 of his 203 district court appointments. Before Carter’s presidency, only two women had ever served as circuit court judges, and six as district court judges.
“Once Carter appointed women to the bench in numbers, there was no turning back,” Ginsburg remarked in a speech, reflecting on Carter’s legacy. She also highlighted the early resistance women faced in judicial roles. For instance, during President Harry Truman’s administration, justices reportedly argued against the idea of a woman on the bench, suggesting it would disrupt their informal, male-dominated working dynamic.
Carter’s commitment to diversity extended beyond gender. He appointed a record 57 judges of color to the federal bench, including notable figures like Leon Higginbotham on the 3rd Circuit, Amalya Kearse on the 2nd Circuit, and Damon Keith on the 6th Circuit. These appointments not only diversified the judiciary but also brought enduring changes to its composition and representation.
This 1995 photo captures Leon Higginbotham, whom President Jimmy Carter appointed to the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit in 1977. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe/Getty Images)
Carter's commitment to diversifying the federal bench earned widespread praise from civil rights advocates. Sherrilyn Ifill, a Howard University law professor and former NAACP Legal Defense Fund director, highlighted the broader impact of his efforts, calling them "important for improving the legitimacy and quality of judging."
Carter himself downplayed his role in breaking barriers, modestly stating, "The nation was ready for it."
Despite his achievements in judicial diversity, Carter never had the chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice. He remains the only one-term president who completed a full term without filling a Supreme Court vacancy. However, his emphasis on appointing women and minorities may have influenced Ronald Reagan during their 1980 presidential campaign.
In October 1980, Reagan promised to nominate the first woman to the Supreme Court, telling a Los Angeles audience, “One of the first Supreme Court vacancies in my administration will be filled by the most qualified woman I can find.” Carter dismissed Reagan’s pledge as a political maneuver, remarking, “Equal rights for women involves more than just one job for one woman.”
Reagan fulfilled his campaign promise in 1981 by nominating Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The second woman on the Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg—originally appointed by Carter to the D.C. Circuit in 1980—joined in 1993, following her nomination by President Bill Clinton.
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