Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice, Dies at 87
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Credit: Supreme Court of the United States
The world lost a legal and feminist icon on Friday, September 18, with the death of the associate justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the age of 87. Ginsburg served on the Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020. As a Supreme Court justice, she provided a steady liberal voice and was a passionate supporter of women’s rights.
Ginsberg was the second woman to serve on the court. Sandra Day O’Connor became the first in 1981. President Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Byron R. White.
Ruth Bader was born on March 15, 1933, in New York City. She graduated from Cornell University in 1954. She married Martin D. Ginsburg, who also became a lawyer, later that year. She earned a law degree from Columbia University in 1959.
Ginsburg taught law at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, from 1963 to 1972 and at Columbia University from 1972 to 1980. During the 1970′s, Ginsburg served as general counsel to the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that works for citizens’ rights. In this position, she argued before the Supreme Court and won many cases involving equality between the sexes. She actively supported women’s rights.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. During her years as a member of this court, she became known for working to bring about agreement between her liberal and conservative colleagues.
