WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The Supreme Court now has a new member. In a historic moment, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in on Thursday.

Justice Jackson is the first Black woman on the high court. Her addition isn’t expected to change the court’s ideological balance, but George Washington Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew says her background and perspective are unique.

“Not only is it historic but, for this moment in the court’s history, it is transformational,” Matthew said. “She brings perspectives that had been missing. And I also expect that those perspectives are going to be influential on other members of the court.”

Justice Jackson is joining the court after several important and controversial rulings – and at a moment when the country is recognizing just how much of an impact the court’s decisions have.

“The court has profound impact on the daily lives of people,” Matthew said.

Next term, the court is planning to rule on another slate of big issues like affirmative action in education, state election law and corporate regulations. Dean Matthew says Americans can do more than just wait for the court to decide.

“We have to change our strategy from one that passively waits for the Supreme Court to protect those rights only,” Matthew said.

While Justice Jackson will likely often end up in the minority, Dean Matthew is confident she will make her mark.

  • In this image provided by the Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson signs the Oaths of Office at the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, June 30, 2022, as Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts watches. (Fred Schilling/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via AP)
  • In this image provided by the Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer poses for a photo with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, June 30, 2022. (Fred Schilling/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via AP)

“She is a judge with real experiences that will be brought to bear on real problems in real time today,” Matthew said.

The Supreme Court just finished up its term and won’t start hearing cases again until October.