Feminist Hero: Notorious R.B.G

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was given the nickname Notorious R.B.G. for being a fierce advocate for feminism and liberal opinions. Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by former president Bill Clinton in 1993. She has recently garnered a lot of media and internet attention for her dissenting opinions on controversial cases like the Hobby Lobby case. She worked incredibly hard to get where she is and is an inspiration to many.

Ginsburg was born Ruth Joan Bader in March 15, 1933 to a working class family. Her mother worked long hours in a clothing factory to finance her and her sibling's education. Ginsburg graduated top of her class from James Madison High School. Sadly, her mother died of cancer the day before her graduation. Ginsburg went on to graduate first in her class from Cornell University in 1954. Also in 1954, Ruth Bader married Martin Ginsburg. Ruth Ginsburg has said "[Martin] was the first boy I knew who cared that I had a brain." One year later they had their first child. 

In 1956, Ginsburg enrolled in Harvard Law School where she was one of nine women in a class of over five hundred. She was once asked by the dean to defend her right to attend Harvard when her spot could have gone to a man. In addition to discrimination, Ginsburg faced a stressful home life as well. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer. So in her free time, Ginsburg cared for their one year old daughter, took notes for her husband (also a law student), and typed his papers. Despite the gender discrimination, Ginsburg rose to the top of her class and held a spot on the prestigious Harvard Law Review. 

She transferred to Columbia Law School when her husband got a job in New York. While here, she also held a spot on the Columbia Law Review. She was the first woman to hold a spot on two major law reviews. She graduated from Columbia in 1959 tied for first in her class.

Ginsburg as a teacher at Columbia University.

After graduation, Ginsburg applied to clerk for Justice Felix Frankfurter. Despite a strong recommendation from the dean of Harvard Law School, she was turned down because she was a woman. But she didn't let that stop her. She clerked for U.S District Judge Edmund Palmieri (1959-1961), taught law at Rutgers University (1963-1972), and became the first women to be tenured at Columbia University (1972-1980).

The 1970s were a very busy time for Ginsburg.  In 1970, she co-founded The Women's Rights Law Reporter, a law journal focused on women's rights. This was the first journal of its kind. Ginsburg wrote a textbook titled Text, Cases, and Materials on Sex-Based Discrimination published in 1974. Throughout the 70s she was the the director of the American Civil Liberties Union. During this time she argued six cases before the Supreme Court, winning five.

Cases argued: 

• Frontiero v. Richardson - 1973
• Kahn v. Shevin - 1974
• Edwards v. Healy - 1975
• Weinburger v. Weisenfeld - 1975
• Califano v. Goldfarb - 1977
• Duren v. Missouri - 1979

Ruth Ginsburg being sworn onto the Supreme Court by her husband.

In 1980, former president Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. After serving thirteen years there, former president Bill Clinton appointed her to the U.S Supreme Court. Ginsburg became the second women to ever be a Supreme Court justice and the first Jewish woman. Ginsburg often is called to rule on cases involving gender equality, notably United States v. Virginia, Stenberg v. Carhart, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire, and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Inc.

The only women to serve on the Supreme Court.
Sandra Day O'Conner, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Ginsburg, Elana Kagan

At 82 years old, Ginsburg has gone through a lot. She has faced discrimmination at many points  in her journey to the top, but she never let that stop her. And despite her age, Ginsburg shows no signs of slowing down. When asked about her retirement Ginsburg said "As long as I can do the job full steam, I will stay here."

TLDR: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an amazing women who has both accomplished and overcome a lot.