Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of just nine women in her freshman class at Harvard Law School. She wound up graduating from Columbia Law. Following her legal education she was turned down for a job because she was female and had to hide a second pregnancy while working as a professor so she was not discriminated against at work.
“When I graduated from law school in 1959,” she said, according to Glamour. “There were no antidiscrimination laws. Employers were up-front that they did not want a woman.”
Ginsburg worked as trial lawyer that saw her argue against laws that treated women differently regarding drinking age, Social Security death benefits, jury service and military housing. Ginsburg became the second female Supreme Court Justice in history when appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton.
“I am really proud of Justice Ginsburg’s service on the Supreme Court,” President Clinton said in an interview with Glamour. “During her tenure she has decided cases wisely and defended big decisions well. She has been a steadfast defender of the constitutional rights of the American people. And she has made a real effort to work with the other members of an often deeply divided court to fashion opinions capable of generating broad public support.”
Justice Antonin Scalia is Ginsburg’s closest friend in the court. Scalia said, “She does it quietly, but she’s very effective.”
“More than any other person, she can take credit for making the law of this country work for women. She is a transformational figure…and for me, an inspiration,” Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan said about Ginsburg.
