A Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) Strong Voice, Giant Intellect and a Warm Heart
A Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) Strong Voice, Giant Intellect and a Warm Heart

Summary/Abstract: The United States Supreme Court is one of the most traditional institutions in the United States of America, and one that, up to until fairly recently (1981), has been closed to women. In this tribute, I recall my interview with the second woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died this year. Ginsburg, who has been described as the legal architect of the women’s movement, was born in Brooklyn, New York to a middle-class family. Her mother, who Ruth greatly admired did not have the advantage of education, but nonetheless encouraged Ruth to develop herself intellectually, and she did – winning a scholarship to Cornell University and then moving on to Harvard and graduating from Columbia School of Law. She was unable to find a job as a lawyer upon graduation because law firms were simply not hiring women, so she joined the faculty at Rutgers Law School and co-founded the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. She began arguing sex discrimination cases in front of the United States Supreme Court and developed a national reputation for her excellence. Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the faculty at Columbia School of Law and, in 1980, was appointed by President Carter to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. At the time, there were only eight women on any of the federal courts. In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court, recognizing her reputation as a talented judge, her role as one of the foremost legal advocates for women’s rights, and her potential to build consensus on the Supreme Court. In her later years, she would become a cultural icon, popular with young people, a phenomenon that surprised her. Through her immense intellect, bravery, humanity and careful, persistent communication, Ruth Bader Ginsburg advanced her mission of gender equality and changed the lives of the American people, and American society.

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