The Supreme Court is charged with ensuring to all Americans the promise of equal justice under law and serves as the final arbiter of our Constitution. The justices on the bench must have extraordinary credentials, unquestionable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law.

President Biden’s nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson not only meets these standards — she exceeds them.

As an attorney, former state legislator and a Republican who publicly endorsed President Biden, I know how critical our court system is to American democracy. I have also seen the politicization of the Supreme Court nomination process over the last couple of decades. Sure, politics always plays a role on the court, but for most of our history, the court was seen as above the fray of the petty day-to-day political squabbles of the moment, not a part of them. We must get back to that.

With the recent retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer after 27 years, I have closely watched the search process President Biden conducted to find his replacement. He took seriously the Constitution’s requirement that he make this appointment “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate,” seeking the advice of Senators in both parties from the very beginning.

Ultimately, this led him to Judge Jackson, an exceptionally qualified individual who seems to clearly understand the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions can have on the lives of the American people. She would be the first Black woman to serve. The court should “look like America” and with her confirmation it will move one step closer.

The nomination and review process so far marks a needed return to what should always be a bipartisan process that operates with fairness, consistency and respect, as it has through most of our country’s history. I hope it stays that way.

In a time where partisan gridlock and endless controversy prevail, Judge Jackson has already earned the endorsement of a broad coalition of conservatives, democrats, law enforcement officials, former colleagues and others. As she makes her way around Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers, she is getting excellent grades.

After her interview with Judge Jackson, our own Sen. Susan Collins said “It’s clear that her credentials and the breadth of her experience are impressive,” and that she showed “what I want to see in a judge.”

Without question, Judge Jackson is bright, accomplished, and experienced. Her background — as a federal appellate judge, a federal district court judge, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an attorney in private practice, and a federal public defender — would bring a unique variety of experience to the bench.

She would be the first former public defender to serve on the Supreme Court, and also the first justice with criminal defense experience in more than 30 years. That’s a bonus. Unlike her other colleagues, she will have “been there and done that” adding useful life experience the others just don’t have.

Let us all hope that the rest of this nomination process focuses on her background, experience and judicial temperament rather than the political party of the President who nominates her.

Over the course of her career, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate three times, always with bipartisan support. I hope that this next time is no different.

Roger Katz is an attorney and former four-term state senator.