by Amy Rosenthal, Outreach Intern,
National Women's Law Center
This post is part of a series about the nomination of Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.
As an observer of the Supreme Court, I have always been impressed with the achievements of Justice Ginsburg. But in concentrating on Justice Ginsburg’s past accomplishments, I often overlook her current battles, where she must not only rule fairly, but seek to educate others. In Stafford Unified School District #1 v. Redding, a case involving strip searching a thirteen-year-old girl, Ginsburg told USA Today that “I didn’t think that my colleagues, some of them, quite understood.” Justice Ginsburg, as a woman and as an advocate for women, seeks to fulfill an additional burden of shedding light on underlying gender issues that are not always apparent to others. In the Redding case, this required that Justices Ginsburg and Souter speak to the unique vulnerability of an adolescent girl.
On Tuesday, The New York Times published an illuminating interview with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She spoke about her confirmation process, her hopes for Sotomayor’s confirmation, and the importance of female Justices. Never afraid to confront issues, Justice Ginsburg spoke about the different standards for women and men, and how she, herself, was a product of affirmative action.
As anticipation builds for next week’s hearings on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Court, reading this interview heightened my awareness of the great pride and sense of responsibility that Justice Ginsburg feels on the bench. Through her example, Justice Ginsburg inspires me, and others, to advance not only ourselves, but those who depend on us.
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