In Memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

In recognizing the extraordinary life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice joins the nation in mourning her passing and celebrating the magnitude of her legal presence. The lives of Americans, particularly lower income individuals and members of historically marginalized and under-represented groups, were made better because of Justice Ginsburg’s steadfast focus on equality and the human experience in her work, both as a fierce litigator and an insightful judge. Penning the majority opinion in Olmstead v. L.C., Justice Ginsburg’s articulate and human-centered characterization of the injury and prejudice that undue hospitalization imposed on individuals with psychiatric concerns reflects some of her noteworthy contributions to Supreme Court jurisprudence. Her career-long efforts to advance women’s professional, economic and civil rights survive in a body of case law that she participated in developing as an attorney and subsequently wrote on as a judge, securing equal participation of women in jury pools, educational institutions, and court proceedings, and helping ensure equal access to credit and employee compensation. NCLEJ remains hopeful that legacy of Justice Ginsburg’s work will carry us forward in working to advance legal efforts on behalf of individuals with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and other people of color, and women for decades to come, as we lament the loss of her indomitable spirit.