R.B.G.
A Tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
W
e stand on the shoulders of giants. Although diminutive in stature and soft of voice, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fierce intellect and devotion to justice made her a towering giant. She forged a personal and professional legacy of lasting societal impact. Since her passing on September 18, 2020, at the age of 87, she has been eulogized and lauded by innumerable dignitaries, scholars, judges, and lawyers. Hence, we are familiar with the broad points of her biography. She devoted her professional life to gender equality, for both men and women, as well as racial equality. As a lawyer, she participated in five landmark cases before the Supreme Court. During her tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, she forged an enduring friendship with her colleague, Justice Antonin Scalia, which surmounted their ideological differences. She achieved her success in law school under unimaginable strain, propelled by her loving devotion to her husband, Marty. She graciously and cheekily accepted her iconic nickname in popular culture, The Notorious RBG. She bravely fought multiple bouts of cancer with inspiring tenacity. In remembering and giving tribute to Justice Ginsburg, however, the full weight of her legacy cannot be measured merely by her impressive biography and legal accomplishments. Rather, her memory and impact must also account for how she made us feel. To quote another giant, poet Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Across generations and areas of legal expertise, Justice Ginsburg made us all feel that equality was both our right and mantle, with her as our resilient champion and role model. A life and legacy so vibrant, vast, and dynamic as Justice Ginsburg’s requires the input of many perspectives, so I reached out to several prominent attorneys about Justice Ginsburg’s legacy and impact on them. In response, City of Dayton Law Director Barbara Doseck pointed out,
“You can’t dream to be what you don’t see. Justice Ginsburg provided hope to many women pursuing a career in law. She instilled necessary confidence in a judiciary that represented the people it serves. I will always admire her resilience, her intelligence, and devotion to the pursuit of justice.”
12
Dayton Bar Briefs November 2020
By The Honorable Mary Wiseman DBA Immediate Past President Montgomery Cty Ct of Common Pleas mary.wiseman@montcourt.oh.gov | 937.225.4384 Similarly, attorney Tamara Sack, noting Justice Ginsburg’s majority opinion in United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996) striking down VMI’s males-only admission policy, said of Justice Ginsburg, “For me, she epitomized what it means to have the courage of your convictions and the grace to state your position, free of emotion and bravado.”
Gretchen Treherne of Jackson Lewis also commented upon Justice Ginsburg as a multi-faceted role model,
“She demonstrated that one can succeed in the challenging role of an attorney while also enjoying a fulfilling family life. She was undeniably a trailblazer not just for women in the legal profession, but for women in general. I also know men who admired her. I have been inspired by her and have felt tremendous gratitude toward her.”
Justice Ginsburg’s vision, keen intellect, poise, humility, and humor are what resonated most with Erin Rhinehart of Faruki+. Erin summarized her thoughts this way:
“Justice Ginsburg’s ability to see beyond the case in front of her; to see beyond the immediate loss; to see what the future could look like—indeed, should look like; and, how to lead the country down the right path—not with bombastic speech or actions, but with grace, poise, and precision. These are her qualities, her strengths, that will linger with me. These are the qualities I most admire and work tirelessly to emulate—only to fall short most days. But, each day offers a new opportunity to do better, try harder, and, in her words, ‘be a little deaf.’ Therefore, to honor her life, her achievements, we should all endeavor to do better, try harder, and ‘be a little deaf.’”
continued on page 13
937.222.7902
