Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left a long-standing legacy behind her in the fields of feminism, equality, and more. Her recent death has caused media speculation and political chaos surrounding possible replacements with slightly less emphasis on who she was and how she made an impact.
Ginsburg was born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She went to Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and followed at Harvard for law school. There, she was one of nine women in a class of 500 men. She soon transferred to Columbia Law School and continued her law career from there. In 1980, Jimmy Carter appointed her to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In 1993, Bill Clinton nominated her to become a Supreme Court Justice where she served as the first Jewish woman and second woman until her death in September 2020.
At the time of nomination, Ginsburg was seen as a moderate judge and was more of a consensus-builder rather than a liberal perspective. Over time, the court shifted further right, pushing Ginsburg towards the left side of the court. Throughout her career as a Supreme Court Justice, she wrote many notable majority opinions and dissents from a liberal stance.
In addition to marking women’s rights history by simply acting on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg assisted in many cases that furthered the idea of gender equality. In 1996’s United States v. Virginia, she wrote the majority opinion against the case in which the Virginia Military Institute didn’t accept female applicants, soon changing the rule and making a mark for gender equality in the military. Ginsburg was also pro-choice and strongly advocated for a woman’s right on abortion, upholding the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
Ginsburg also wrote majority opinions in cases about climate, specifically Friends of Earth Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, saying that those affected by an industrial polluter could seek fines. In a 1999 case, Olmstead v. L. C., Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion for having mental illness fall under “disabilities” in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, prohibiting discrimination of people with mental illness. Ginsburg spread her views through many different fields of conflict, making clear changes in American policy and ideology.
Ginsburg has debated in fields of criminal justice and racial justice. She was an inconsistent ally towards prisoners, generally siding with her liberal justices. On numerous occasions, she made prison-life slightly more difficult. While Ginsburg recognized the inequality and discrimination of race, she has made comments and court decisions that speak otherwise. For example, she criticized Colin Kapernick for kneeling during the National Anthem, later apologizing for her words.
As time went on, Ginsburg took on a senior role in the Supreme Court, often writing letters of dissent when the liberal wing lost. She held a strong role in America’s court system and she will continue to be recognized as a powerful female who fought for the rights of others.