Justice Stephen Breyer will retire from the Supreme Court on Thursday after the court hands down its last opinions for this term, he said in a letter sent Wednesday to President Biden.
Driving the news: Breyer said that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson "is prepared to take the prescribed oaths" to succeed him. She is set to be sworn in Thursday at noon as the first Black female justice in the court's history, per the Supreme Court.
- Breyer announced his retirement back in January, and Jackson was confirmed as his successor in April.
What he's saying: "It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law," Breyer said in his letter.
The big picture: The court will issue its last two opinions on Thursday morning.
- The rulings will focus on the Environmental Protection Agency's authority over greenhouse gases and on the Trump-era "Migrant Protection Protocols," most commonly known as the "Remain-in-Mexico" policy.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is set to be sworn in Thursday at noon.
