by Taylor Isenberg
Editor in Chief
In 1972, the United States Court of Appeals heard the case Moritz v. Commissioner of the Internal Revenue. Representing the appellant in this case was future supreme court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This case was one of the first gender discrimination cases Ginsburg would represent. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, this case laid the foundation for arguments against same-sex discrimination.
From this landmark case in Ginsburg’s career to writing opinions for the United States Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a pioneer for equality. On Sept. 18, 2020, Ginsburg died at her home in Washington, D.C. at the age of 87. She will be remembered for her fearlessness, courage, intelligence, and the lasting legacy she left behind for women and people everywhere.
Ginsburg actively argued for women’s rights and wrote opinions on landmark cases during her time in the Supreme Court, where she was associate justice for more than 25 years. As only one of four women ever to be on the Supreme Court, she became a role model for women and girls across the globe. Ginsburg always stood up for what she believed in, even if others did not agree with her.
Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all the places decisions are being made,” this statement rings true even in 2020. Women still are paid lower than their male counterparts, women’s reproductive freedoms and rights are often in jeopardy, and a small fraction of the largest companies in the world are run by women.
But without Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s impact on women’s rights, our world would be much different than it looks today. Her life and career broke glass ceilings across the globe and especially in the United States.
She was a fighter, battling various forms of cancer multiple times, while still practicing as one of the nine supreme court justices.
I personally cite Justice Ginsburg as one of my role models. Her wisdom, work ethic and passion for equality significantly inspire me to do better in the world. I, among many other women I know, would not be the people we are today without her lasting presence and influence for women everywhere.
Thank you, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for opening so many doors for women and fighting tirelessly for justice and equality.
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