I find it ironic that Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991, opening the door to Clarence Thomas, but also subtly influencing the 1992 election and Bill Clinton's presidency. RBG's departure may have similarly influenced the outcome of 2020, as another 'conservative' incumbent became a one-term president.

It may be a while before we see Justice Jackson "in action" - at least, beyond raising pointed questions. There may be the occasional majority opinion she joins in order to have an opportunity to prevent it from becoming an even worse majority opinion, but most of that give and take happens behind closed doors.

And yet, when Justice Marshall came on the bench, for the most part, it seems likely civil rights as most people experienced them were significantly worse than today...