Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a relentless champion and advocate of equity, a courageous litigator, and a history-making jurist. She helped us see that discrimination on the basis of sex had real consequences for all of us, regardless of gender. But she was more than that. She was a champion of all outsiders, minority groups, immigrants, and people with disabilities. She made sure that the law made the marginalized, mainstream. She became an icon and a hero.
We often ask our children, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy should redefine this question for all of us. It’s not our profession that defines us, but how we invest our time and talent that is everlasting. The question is not what do we want to be, but what do we want to do with our lives. In 2015, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that she wanted to be remembered as “someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has.”
Justice Ginsburg, you will be missed. You will be remembered for your service, your transformative leadership, your empathy and compassion. Moreover, you raised the bar for all of us. Rest in peace, in strength, and with the knowledge that you truly made a difference.
May your memory and your impact be eternal.
Emily Coughlin
DRI President Elect