U.S. Supreme Court Honors Former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

After the death of women’s rights advocate Ginsburg in 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court saw a further expansion of the conservative majority.

A memorial service was held Friday to honor U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and work as an advocate for women’s rights.

Colleagues and legal clerks (young lawyers working with judges for a year) remembered Ginsburg’s achievements at a rare meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association, an organization of lawyers who have practiced in the courts.

Featured speakers included Elizabeth Preloger, the 48th Attorney General of the United States and the fourth highest-ranking person in the Department of Justice. Although she currently represents the federal government on the Supreme Court, she previously served as Ginsburg’s clerk.

“Judge Ginsburg’s achievements as an attorney are extraordinary and legendary,” Prelogger told the audience, referring to Ginsburg’s tenure before entering the court.

Ginsburg acted as a judge 27 years. She was the second woman to join the country’s Supreme Court bench.

But she had previously advocated for years in the Supreme Court as an attorney and was famous for protecting women’s rights. He won the case and was eventually appointed as a judge by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993.

“Judge Ginsburg’s advocacy changed an entire field of constitutional law, but she never focused solely on abstract legal principles. , I remember the injustice that brought them to court,” the prelogger said Friday, praising her mentor’s “enduring commitment” to everyday Americans.

But Ginsburg’s death ahead of the 2020 election proved to be a transformative moment for the Supreme Court, allowing its nine members to lean. more conservative.

Ginsburg died on September 18 of that year, allowing then-Republican President Donald Trump to fill her seat with Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

This gave conservatives a 6-3 overwhelming majority in the Supreme Court.The court has since upheld some conservative prioritiesThis included the repeal of the Roe v Wade Act in June 2022, ending the constitutional right to abortion.

Ginsburg supported the right to have an abortion, but was critical of the precedent set by the 1973 Roe decision.

The late judge’s legal battles and seniority in court eventually turned her into a pop culture icon towards the end of her life.Notorious RBG“, a play on the rapper’s name.

Ginsburg famously collected lace and beaded collars and wore them over his black Supreme Court robes, inspiring fan appreciation.

“Her life was a quintessential American story,” the prelogger said Friday. “She was born into an immigrant family and grew up frugally. She faced serious adversity and discrimination. , by her intellect, diligence, and willpower, she not only reached the pinnacle of her profession, but reshaped it.”

Ginsburg’s battle with cancer began when she underwent surgery for colon cancer six years into her Supreme Court tenure. Over the years, she also underwent treatment for pancreatic cancer, a complication of which would eventually claim her life.

The summer before she died at the age of 87, she decided to stay on the bench.

“I have often said that as long as I can get the job done at full speed, I will remain on the court,” she said in a statement.

Ginsburg is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, not far from the Virginia capital. She was the first woman to live in-state at the United States Capitol after her death.

The ceremony in her honor on Friday was part of a long-standing tradition in the Supreme Court courtroom, dating back to 1822. The last justice remembered at such a ceremony was the late Antonin Scalia. Opera.