As the second woman and first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and career were a testament to her relentless pursuit of justice and her unwavering belief in gender equality. From her early struggles with gender discrimination in a male-dominated legal world to her eventual rise as a cultural icon known as “The Notorious R.B.G.,” her story is a powerful narrative of perseverance and intellectual brilliance.

Ginsburg was not a firebrand from the start. Her strategy for social change was deliberate and meticulous, built on a foundation of legal precedent and a long-term vision. She spent decades carefully dismantling gender-based stereotypes in law, often arguing for men’s rights to expose the absurdity of laws that limited opportunities for both genders. Her work as a lawyer, professor, and judge laid the groundwork for her eventual role on the highest court in the land, where she became known for her scholarly opinions and her fierce, inspiring dissents. This article will explore ten key aspects of her remarkable life, career, and legacy, highlighting the moments that defined her as one of the most significant legal figures of the modern era.

1. Overcoming Early Discrimination: The Fight to Be a Lawyer

Long before she became a justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to fight for a place in the legal profession. As a young woman, she faced overt discrimination. At Harvard Law School, where she was one of only nine women in her class of over 500, the dean famously asked the female students why they were “taking the place of a man.” Despite graduating tied for first in her class from Columbia Law School, she was unable to secure a job at a major law firm, or even a clerkship with a Supreme Court justice, simply because she was a woman. This personal experience with gender bias fueled her lifelong passion for fighting for women’s rights and equality under the law. It was this struggle that shaped her legal philosophy and made her a tireless advocate for a more just and inclusive society. Her journey is a powerful reminder of the barriers that women of her generation faced, and the immense courage required to break them.

2. A Master Strategist: The Thurgood Marshall of the Women’s Rights Movement

Ginsburg’s work as a litigator in the 1970s is what truly cemented her legacy as a civil rights pioneer. As the head of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, she took a strategic, long-term approach to dismantling gender discrimination. Rather than launching an all-out assault on every discriminatory law, she chose to attack them one by one, building a body of precedent that would eventually lead to sweeping change. Her brilliant strategy, which was compared to that of civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall, often involved taking on cases where men were the victims of gender-based laws. In the landmark case Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld (1975), for example, she argued successfully on behalf of a widower who was denied Social Security benefits to care for his son, a benefit that was automatically granted to widows. By showing that these laws hurt men as well, she effectively demonstrated the absurdity and unconstitutionality of gender stereotypes to a predominantly male court.

3. The First Tenured Female Professor at Columbia Law

Despite the initial roadblocks, Ginsburg’s legal career flourished. After teaching at Rutgers University, she joined the faculty at Columbia Law School in 1972, where she became the first woman to be granted tenure. This was a groundbreaking achievement in a field that was overwhelmingly male-dominated. While at Columbia, she continued her work on gender equality, co-founding the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, the first law journal in the U.S. to focus exclusively on women’s rights. Her work as a professor was crucial in shaping a new generation of lawyers who would go on to fight for equal rights. This period of her life demonstrated her ability to succeed at the highest levels of academia while simultaneously leading a legal revolution, proving that she was a force for change both inside and outside the classroom.

4. The United States v. Virginia Opinion: A Defining Moment on the Court

One of Ginsburg’s most significant contributions as a Supreme Court justice was her majority opinion in United States v. Virginia (1996). The case challenged the male-only admissions policy of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), a state-supported school. In her opinion, Ginsburg famously wrote that a gender-based classification must serve an “exceedingly persuasive justification” to be constitutional. She rejected the state’s argument that VMI’s unique “adversative” training style was unsuitable for women, arguing instead that the state must provide women with an “equal opportunity” to receive a public education. Her opinion was a powerful culmination of her life’s work, striking a decisive blow against legally sanctioned gender discrimination and cementing her legacy as a champion of equal opportunity.

5. A Partnership of Equals: Her Relationship with Marty Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life was defined not just by her legal work but also by her remarkable partnership with her husband, Martin D. Ginsburg. Marty, a renowned tax lawyer, was her most ardent supporter and a true partner in their marriage. He took an active role in raising their two children and championed his wife’s career at every turn, often using his influence to help her secure jobs and opportunities. He famously lobbied President Bill Clinton to nominate her to the Supreme Court, a move that proved to be a decisive factor in her selection. Their relationship was a living testament to the very ideals of gender equality that Ruth fought for, demonstrating that a successful marriage could be a partnership of equals where both individuals could pursue their passions and careers.

6. The “Notorious R.B.G.”: A Pop Culture Icon

In the latter years of her life, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became an unlikely pop culture icon, affectionately known as “The Notorious R.B.G.” The moniker, a play on the name of the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., was born from a blog post by a law student and quickly took on a life of its own. It celebrated her fiery dissents and her quiet, but powerful, intellectual strength. This newfound fame brought her work to a new generation, with her image appearing on T-shirts, mugs, and in documentaries and biopics. She embraced the role with a characteristic blend of humility and humor, recognizing that it was a unique opportunity to engage a younger audience with the important issues of law and justice.

7. The Power of the Dissent: Speaking for the Future

While her majority opinions were significant, many of Ginsburg’s most powerful moments came in her dissents. A judicial dissent is a written opinion by one or more judges who disagree with the majority’s decision. For Ginsburg, a dissent was not just a disagreement; it was a plea to the future. In her famous dissent in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007), a case involving pay discrimination, she read her dissent from the bench, a rare and powerful act. She argued that the majority’s opinion showed an ignorance of the realities of pay discrimination and called upon Congress to pass new legislation. Her dissent directly led to the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, demonstrating the profound influence her words could have even when she was in the minority.

8. An Unwavering Advocate for a More Perfect Union

Throughout her career, both as a lawyer and a justice, Ginsburg was a tireless advocate for the idea of a “more perfect union,” a phrase from the U.S. Constitution. She believed that the law should be a tool for progress, not a barrier to it. She was a staunch supporter of affirmative action, reproductive freedom, and gay marriage. Her work was guided by the belief that the Constitution’s promise of “equal protection of the laws” should extend to all citizens, regardless of their gender, race, or sexual orientation. Her jurisprudence was characterized by a deep respect for the rule of law and a powerful vision of what a truly just society could look like.

9. The Legacy of Her Collars: A Statement of Dissent and Hope

Ginsburg’s style, particularly her choice of collars, became another symbol of her unique persona. She wore a variety of collars and jabots over her judicial robes, each with a different meaning. She famously had a specific collar for her majority opinions, a different one for her dissents, and even a “dissent collar” that she wore on days when she was particularly displeased with the court’s actions. These sartorial choices became a form of subtle but powerful expression, a visual cue that signaled her position on a case. Her collars were not just fashion; they were a statement of her personality and her commitment to her role, another reason she became a beloved figure to so many.

10. A Lifelong Pursuit of Justice: “Justice, Justice, Thou Shalt Pursue”

The words “Justice, justice, thou shalt pursue” from the Old Testament hung on the wall of her chambers, serving as the guiding principle of her life. These words encapsulated her entire career—a lifelong dedication to ensuring that the law serves justice for all people. She believed that the law should be a dynamic force for good, constantly adapting to the changing needs of society. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story is a profound lesson in the power of one person to make a difference. She showed us that with intellect, perseverance, and a deep-seated belief in the principles of equality, it is possible to change the world, one case, one dissent, and one powerful idea at a time.

Further Reading

My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Notorious R.B.G.: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart

Conversations with R.B.G.: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law by Jeffrey Rosen

Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda Hirshman

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