The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

With the passing of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it marks the end of a 50-year career in law.

Ginsburg was a lawyer, professor, appellate judge, and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginsburg was nominated by President George Bush in 1991 and has been on the bench through five presidential administrations. She was originally considered to be a moderate judge but as the court as whole moved to a more conservative body, she became known as a liberal. She was the second woman ever to sit on the bench of the U.S. Supreme Court in its 212 year history.

Ginsburg worked her entire career to eliminate gender-based stereotyping in legislation and regulations. She defended women’s reproductive freedom in several cases and supported gay marriage. In a 2013 landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that two sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. Ginsburg vote might’ve been the deciding vote in that case.

According to Article 2, Sections 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution the sitting President is allowed to nominate justices of the Supreme Court, but they must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President Trump has vowed to nominate a woman to fill the seat, possibly as soon as this weekend. If a replacement is named and confirmed before the election, it would be the third Supreme Court Judge to be appointed during Trump’s Presidency.