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Ruth Bader Ginsburg

1993–2020·Appointed by Bill Clinton·Democrat·Liberal

Details

Birth: March 15, 1933 · Brooklyn, New York
Death: September 18, 2020
Law school: columbia university
Prior experience: U.s. court of appeals judge

Biography

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1993 until her death in 2020. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she graduated from Cornell University in 1954 and attended Harvard Law School before transferring to Columbia Law School, where she graduated first in her class in 1959. Despite her academic achievements, Ginsburg faced significant gender discrimination in the legal profession and initially struggled to find employment at major law firms. She served as a law clerk, worked in academia, and co-founded the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued six landmark cases before the Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976, winning five. President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 1980, where she served for thirteen years before President Bill Clinton nominated her to the Supreme Court. She was confirmed by the Senate in a 96-3 vote, becoming the second woman to serve on the Court. Ginsburg was known for her methodical, incremental approach to advancing gender equality and civil rights through the law. Her judicial philosophy emphasized careful legal reasoning and precedent while advocating for marginalized groups. Notable majority opinions include *United States v. Virginia* (1996), which struck down the male-only admission policy at Virginia Military Institute, and *Olmstead v. L.C.* (1999), advancing disability rights. Her passionate dissents, particularly in *Shelby County v. Holder* (2013) and *Ledbetter v. Goodyear* (2007), earned her the popular nickname "Notorious R.B.G." and cemented her legacy as a champion of voting rights, gender equality, and social justice.

Notable opinions

United States v. Virginia
Obergefell v. Hodges
Ledbetter v. Goodyear

Cases on SCOTUShub

MAJORITYRamos v. Louisiana (2020)

CONCURRENCEKansas v. Glover (2020)

MAJORITYMaine Community Health Options v. United States (2020)

MAJORITYBanister v. Davis (2020)

DISSENTEspinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

DISSENTDepartment of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam (2020)

MAJORITYJune Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo (2020)

MAJORITYBostock v. Clayton County (2020)

DISSENTOur Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (2020)

MAJORITYGundy v. United States (2019)

DISSENTRucho v. Common Cause (2019)

MAJORITYShoop v. Hill (2019)

MAJORITYOrtiz v. United States (2018)

DISSENTTrump v. Hawaii (2018)

DISSENTPatchak v. Zinke, Secretary of the Interior [Patchek II] (2018)

CONCURRENCEPatchak v. Zinke (2018)

MAJORITYCarpenter v. United States (2018)

DISSENTMurphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn. (2018)

DISSENTMurphy v. NCAA (2018)

MAJORITYOil States Energy Services, LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC (2018)

MAJORITYCollins v. Virginia (2018)

DISSENTLucia v. SEC (2018)

MAJORITYByrd v. United States (2018)

DISSENTMasterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018)

MAJORITYCzyzewski v. Jevic Holding Corp. (2017)

MAJORITYUnited States v. Allen (2017)

DISSENTDavila v. Davis (2017)

DISSENTTrinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer (2017)

DISSENTSpokeo, Inc. v. Robins (2016)

MAJORITYBank Markazi v. Peterson (2016)

MAJORITYMontgomery v. Louisiana (2016)

DISSENTKansas v. Carr (2016)

MAJORITYArizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2015)

MAJORITYCity of Los Angeles v. Patel (2015)

MAJORITYRodriguez v. United States (2015)

MAJORITYObergefell v. Hodges (2015)

MAJORITYHinton v. Alabama (2014)

MAJORITYBond v. United States [Bond II] (2014)

MAJORITYRiley v. California (2014)

DISSENTBurwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores (2014)

MAJORITYNLRB v. Noel Canning (2014)

DISSENTNavarette v. California (2014)

DISSENTFernandez v. California (2014)

DISSENTMcCutcheon v. FEC (2014)

MAJORITYLexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc. (2014)

MAJORITYHeien v. North Carolina (2014)

DISSENTShelby County v. Holder (2013)

DISSENTClapper v. Amnesty Internation USA (2013)

CONCURRENCEBailey v. United States (2013)

MAJORITYJohnson v. Williams (2013)

MAJORITYTrevino v. Thaler (2013)

MAJORITYFlorida v. Harris (2013)

CONCURRENCEFlorida v. Jardines (2013)

DISSENTClapper v. Amnesty International USA (2013)

MAJORITYAgency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc. (2013)

DISSENTSalinas v. Texas (2013)

MAJORITYMatch-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians v. Patchak [Patchek I] (2012)

MAJORITYMartinez v. Ryan (2012)

MAJORITYMiller v. Alabama (2012)

MAJORITYArizona v. United States (2012)

DISSENTNational Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)

MAJORITYHosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC (2012)

DISSENTNFIB v. Sebelius (2012)

CONCURRENCEBond v. United States [Bond I] (2011)

MAJORITYGreene v. Fisher (2011)

MAJORITYHarrington v. Richter (2011)

MAJORITYCullen v. Pinholster (2011)

DISSENTKentucky v. King (2011)

MAJORITYJ.D.B. v. North Carolina (2011)

DISSENTDavis v. United States (2011)

DISSENTStern v. Marshall (2011)

DISSENTCitizens United v. FEC (2010)

DISSENTBerghuis v. Thompkins (2010)

MAJORITYMonsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms (2010)

DISSENTMcDonald v. Chicago (2010)

DISSENTFree Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (2010)

DISSENTIn Re Chrysler LLC. (2009)

CONCURRENCEArizona v. Gant (2009)

MAJORITYHaywood v. Drown (2009)

DISSENTHerring v. United States (2009)

MAJORITYIn re Davis (2009)

MAJORITYMegginson v. United States (2009)

DISSENTDistrict Attorney’s Office v. Osborne (2009)

MAJORITYBoumediene v. Bush (2008)

MAJORITYDanforth v. Minnesota (2008)

DISSENTDistrict of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

DISSENTMedellin v. Texas (2008)

MAJORITYMunaf v. Geren (2008)

MAJORITYMassachusetts v. EPA (2007)

MAJORITYPanetti v. Quarterman (2007)

DISSENTParents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District (2007)

MAJORITYBrendlin v. California (2007)

MAJORITYBrigham City v. Stuart (2006)

MAJORITYHamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006)

MAJORITYHudson v. United States (2006)

MAJORITYAyotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (2006)

DISSENTHudson v. Michigan (2006)

DISSENTSanchez-Llamas v. Oregon (2006)

MAJORITYHouse v. Bell (2006)

MAJORITYGeorgia v. Randolph (2006)

MAJORITYU.S. v. Gonzales-Lopez (2006)

DISSENTRandall v. Sorrell (2006)

MAJORITYGonzales v. Raich (2005)

DISSENTCastle Rock v. Gonzales (2005)

MAJORITYJackson v. Birmingham Board of Education (2005)

MAJORITYMuehler v. Mena (2005)

DISSENTIllinois v. Caballes (2005)

MAJORITYGonzalez v. Crosby (2005)

DISSENTIllinois v. Lidster (2004)

MAJORITYDevenpeck v. Alford (2004)

MAJORITYMissouri v. Seibert (2004)

DISSENTThornton v. United States (2004)

DISSENTHiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada (2004)

MAJORITYTennessee v. Lane (2004)

CONCURRENCEHamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004)

DISSENTRumsfeld v. Padilla (2004)

CONCURRENCESosa v. Alvarez-Machain (2004)

DISSENTKowalski v. Tesmer (2004)

DISSENTSchriro v. Summerlin (2004)

DISSENTCheney v. U.S. District Court (2004)

MAJORITYRasul v. Bush (2004)

MAJORITYNevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs (2003)

MAJORITYIn re Trans World Airlines, Inc. (2003)

MAJORITYGrutter v. Bollinger (2003)

DISSENTGratz v. Bollinger (2003)

MAJORITYLawrence v. Texas (2003) - “Liberty in Private Intimate Conduct”

DISSENTLockyer v. Andrade (2003)

MAJORITYMaryland v. Pringle (2003)

DISSENTChavez v. Martinez (2003)

MAJORITYPierce County v. Guillen (2003)

DISSENTAmerican Insurance Ass’n v. Garamendi (2003)

DISSENTMickens v. Taylor (2002)

MAJORITYAtkins v. Virginia (2002)

MAJORITYUnited States v. Arvizu (2002)

DISSENTAlexander v. Sandoval (2001)

MAJORITYImmigration & Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr (2001)

MAJORITYSemtek International Inc. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. (2001)

DISSENTAtwater v. City of Lago Vista (2001)

MAJORITYKyllo v. United States (2001)

MAJORITYINS v. St. Cyr (2001)

MAJORITYBurdine v. Johnson (2001)

MAJORITYSlack v. McDaniel (2000)

MAJORITYCrosby v. National Foreign Trade Council (2000)

MAJORITYCity of Indianapolis v. Edmond (2000)

MAJORITYDickerson v. United States (2000)

DISSENTMiller v. French (2000)

DISSENTIllinois v. Wardlow (2000)

DISSENTBush v. Gore (2000)

MAJORITYTerry Williams v. Taylor (2000)

MAJORITYFlorida v. J.L. (2000)

MAJORITYMichael Williams v. Taylor (2000)

DISSENTBoy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000)

MAJORITYBond v. United States (2000)

DISSENTKimel v. Florida Board of Regents (2000)

MAJORITYStrickler v. Greene (1999)

MAJORITYBank of America NT&S v. 203 North Lasalle Street Partnership (1999)

MAJORITYSteward v. LaGrand (1999)

DISSENTAlden v. Maine (1999)

DISSENTO’Sullivan v. Boerckel (1999)

DISSENTFlorida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank (1999)

MAJORITYFEC v. Akins (1998)

MAJORITYStewart v. Martinez-Villareal (1998)

MAJORITYSteel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment (1998)

MAJORITYKnowles v. Iowa (1998)

MAJORITYClinton v. New York (1998)

DISSENTMinnesota v. Carter (1998)

MAJORITYCity of Boerne v. Flores (1997)

MAJORITYClinton v. Jones (1997)

DISSENTPrintz v. United States (1997)

MAJORITYMaryland v. Wilson (1997)

MAJORITYAssociates Commercial Corp. v. Rash (1997)

MAJORITYLoving v. United States (1996)

MAJORITYPennsylvania v. Labron (1996)

MAJORITYIn re Fordham (1996)

MAJORITYFelker v. Turpin (1996)

CONCURRENCEUnited States v. Armstrong (1996)

CONCURRENCEOhio v. Robinette (1996)

MAJORITYRomer v. Evans (1996) – “Equal Protection for Sexual Orientation”

MAJORITYGasperini v. Center for Humanities (1996)

MAJORITYHurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston (1995)

DISSENTPlaut v. Spendthrift Farm, Inc. (1995)

DISSENTAdarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena (1995)

MAJORITYHeck v. Humphrey (1994)

MAJORITYStansbury v. California (1994)

MAJORITYBarclays Bank PLC v. Franchise Tax Board of California (1994)

MAJORITYMCI Telecommunications Corp. v. AT&T Co. (1994)

MAJORITYO’Melveny & Myers v. FDIC (1994)

MAJORITYBFP v. Resolution Trust Corp. (1993)

MAJORITYChurch of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. Hialeah (1993)

MAJORITYIn Re Mustafa (1993)

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