Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday September 18, 2020 at her home in Washington, D.C., surrounded by family. The Supreme Court announced her death, saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas.
Justice Ginsburg served 27 years on the nation’s highest court, and has long been one of the fiercest advocates for women’s rights and equality. At NYLAG, she inspired many of us and we mourn her loss.
It is in her memory that we continue our commitment to fair and equal access to justice for those who need it most. We compiled eight of the most powerful quotes from Justice Ginsburg.
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
“I tell law students, if you’re going to be a lawyer & just practice your profession, you have a skill—very much like a plumber. But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself, something that makes life…better for people less fortunate…”
“[W]hen I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the supreme court]? And I say ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at. My favorite example is the symphony orchestra. When I was growing up, there were no women in orchestras. Auditioners thought they could tell the difference between a woman playing and a man. Some intelligent person devised a simple solution: Drop a curtain between the auditioners and the people trying out. And, lo and behold, women began to get jobs in symphony orchestras.”
“Justices continue to think and can change. I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”
“[I want to be remembered as] someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has…”
Sleep in peace, Justice Ginsburg. Thank you for your service.
