Firsthand courtroom observations on a historic day for trans rights
By Lambda Legal Board Member Valerie M. Sullan
Having spent a career as a trial lawyer means that I have spent a lot of time in courtrooms. But the penultimate courtroom — the U.S. Supreme Court — has always eluded me. I have never been between its walls, much less on a SCOTUS case that my firm was involved in directly.
So when Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, invited me to join him inside SCOTUS on January 13, 2026 to hear oral arguments in West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox? I jumped at the opportunity.
Upon entering the courtroom, you can’t help but be struck by the projection of raw governmental power that emanates from all corners. The red velvet drapes. The enormous marble columns. And of course, the Supreme Court justices in their all-black robes, peering down from their elevated bench.
And there amidst all the gravitas, a mere slip of a girl. No longer just the “BPJ” initials found in endless news headlines and legal briefs, Becky Pepper-Jackson bravely looked up to meet the justices’ stern gaze. Standing in that fabled and historic courtroom in downtown Washington D.C., having traveled all the way from the quiet mountains of West Virginia, Becky and her mother Heather remained undeterred in their mission: fighting for Becky to be able to join her teammates when they take the field in an interscholastic youth game.
Aligned against her was the two-pronged power of The State of West Virginia and the White House. Rather than protect its people, these governmental bodies were arguing that Becky’s mere presence on a field is somehow a threat to women’s sports. (It’s just not true, period.)
Surviving adolescence is a challenge for anyone. But for a trans girl like Becky, whose existence shakes longstanding, archaic definitions of gender set forth by a predominantly cisgender society, the challenges are often insurmountable. Yes, Becky is fighting for her right to belong — to find community with teammates and friends — but also to simply live and thrive as her authentic self.
Becky’s mom, Heather, told me that without Lambda Legal and Kevin Jennings, she fears that her little Becky would not be with us today. At that moment, I could not have been more proud to be associated in some small way with Lambda Legal.
As a trial lawyer, I know all too well the endless hours of preparation necessary to empower one to step up to the podium and present an argument in any case. Even still, I was moved by the magnitude of the stakes at hand that day, what it must have taken to stand behind the podium, face-to-face with the highest of judicial powers. And yet, there were Becky’s lawyers, courageously and cogently arguing on behalf of her right to play and be.
January 13, 2026 will go down in SCOTUS history, but not just from a legal perspective. That day, in that court, there was a call to remember and honor the thing that unifies — not divides — us: humanity.
Wondering how to talk to friends and family about this topic? Check out our comprehensive Trans Youth in Sports Conversation Guide here.
