You’ll learn
- Why anger was not an option for RBG
- How RBG shattered societal and legal ceilings
- The secret behind RBG's enduring partnerships
- The impact of RBG's dissents on legal evolution
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first KEY POINT
Nation’s history is never straightforward, and it is most certainly always shaped by even more complex figures. Upon meeting Ruth Bader Ginsburg — RBG — either in her youth or later years, you wouldn’t have given her much thought. She was never one to stand out and always kept her distance; but this seemingly timid woman has made history more than a fair share of times. The second woman ever to be nominated as the Supreme Court Justice, she successfully argued in numerous women’s rights cases before the Supreme Court. One discriminatory case at a time, RBG laid the foundation for the more equal society we live in today. With so many injustices in the way, each step forward became a leap but those hardships never once discouraged her from doing what she wanted and what she thought was right; her moral principles were always a reliable guide.
Another thing that helped her throughout her journey was her mother’s advice — getting angry is never worth it. She always accepted the plurality of opinions and characters around her and worked toward a sound compromise.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t simply an expert in her field — she was, first and foremost, a compassionate and kind human. Her distinguished personal traits were what made her such a fair and professional judge. She was reserved, always took her time, and her words were always carefully chosen.This summary, though short, will help you rediscover RBG by fleshing out a complete portrait of an outstanding person — both professionally and personality-wise. We’ll dive into her difficult journey towards a spot on the Supreme Court and all of the things that made this journey possible.
second KEY POINT
As a young Jewish girl from Brooklyn, Ruth Bader Ginsburg attended James Madison High School until 1950. Neither she nor her classmates could have predicted that little Ruth would grow up to become a Supreme Court Justice — that was a role typically reserved for boys.Ruth grew up reading books about Greek and Norse mythology and the stories about the fearless Nancy Drew. Her childhood was a happy one, thanks to her stern but loving mother, Celia Amster. When Celia got very sick, RBG went out of her way to please her — she worked and studied as hard as possible to make her mom proud. Her work paid off, Ruth graduated with honors and, subsequently, enrolled in Cornell University. She never attended James Madison High School’s graduation — her mother died only a few days prior. This tragedy, though, didn’t discourage RBG — it motivated her to become the successful and accomplished woman that her mother could have been if only society had allowed her.At Cornell University, RBG majored in Government and took an undergraduate class in Constitutional Law. This class is where her passion for law started.Another important thing happened at Cornell University — RBG met, and later in 1954, married a fellow student Marty Ginsburg who became her life-long partner and supporter. Together they moved on to Harvard Law School. At that time, RBG received another vital lesson, this time from her mother-in-law. Her advice to sometimes pretend to be a little hard of hearing and tune out the hurtful things people say helped RBG during her time at Cornell, Harvard, and, later, at Fort Sill base. Women in law programs were very few and in between, and if they were there, they were usually hiding their extraordinary intelligence. So did RBG, but only for a while. At Harvard, she was one of the only two women who had made the Law Review — a student-run organization that published a journal of legal scholarship. At the time, it was considered an honorable distinction.

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