Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was the second woman and first Jewish woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and she became widely known for her work on gender equality and civil rights.
Early life and education
Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied at Cornell University before attending Harvard Law School and completing her law degree at Columbia Law School. Her academic and early professional path was marked by gender discrimination, which later shaped her legal work.
Legal career before the Supreme Court
Before joining the Supreme Court, Ginsburg worked as a law professor and became a leading advocate for women’s rights. She helped establish the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and later served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1980 to 1993.
Supreme Court service
President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993, and she took her seat on August 10, 1993. On the Court, she became known for careful legal reasoning, support for gender equality, and influential dissenting opinions.
Public legacy
Ginsburg became a widely recognized cultural figure and was nicknamed “Notorious R.B.G.” by supporters. Her legacy is strongly associated with women’s rights, civil liberties, and the expansion of equality-based constitutional arguments.
Key facts
- Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933 and died in Washington, D.C., in 2020.
- Served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020.
- Was the second woman and first Jewish woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
- Helped found the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and argued landmark gender-equality cases.
- Became a prominent public figure and feminist icon during and after her judicial career.
Canadian readers may know Ginsburg as a landmark figure in constitutional law and gender equality whose opinions are often compared with Canadian equality-rights jurisprudence under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Frequently asked questions
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References
- Supreme Court of the United States — https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographyginsburg.aspxSupports: Birth date and place, education, marriage, Supreme Court nomination and service dates, death date.
- National Women’s History Museum — https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ruth-bader-ginsburgSupports: Overview of her legacy, appointment to the Supreme Court, first Jewish woman on the Court, death date.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruth-Bader-GinsburgSupports: Biographical overview, Supreme Court tenure, gender-equality advocacy, feminist icon status, confirmation vote.
- Stanford Law School — https://abawtp.law.stanford.edu/exhibits/show/ruth-bader-ginsburg/biographySupports: Education, ACLU Women’s Rights Project role, ACLU service, D.C. Circuit judgeship, Supreme Court appointment.
- Columbia Law School — https://www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/memoriam-ruth-bader-ginsburg-59Supports: Columbia connection, co-founding of the Women’s Rights Project, reputation for gender-equality jurisprudence.
- Federal Judicial Center — https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/ginsburg-ruth-baderSupports: Judicial service on the D.C. Circuit and Supreme Court nomination details.