Justice Ginsburg’s powerful presence was rooted in her brilliant jurisprudence and in the cherished hopes that she represented for social equity, fairhanded justice, and progress. Her passing at such a trying time for these ideals has been difficult to bear. But Justice Ginsburg’s legacy is enduring. Her path-breaking legal career irrevocably broke barriers to gender equity in the legal profession and beyond, and she set a historic example in the pursuit of justice as a lawyer and on the bench.
At the City Bar we mourn not just the loss of a great legal professional, but of a valued and long-serving member. Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the City Bar in 1963 and remained a member until her passing. Among other contributions, she chaired our Sex and Law Committee. As Justice Ginsburg, since 2000 she hosted an annual lecture series – The Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Distinguished Lecture on Women and the Law – featuring such speakers as Madeleine Albright, Gloria Steinem, and Justice Elena Kagan – at the House of the Association. It was by far the most anticipated program and the toughest ticket on the City Bar’s annual calendar of events, with overflowing crowds always including many of the young women and law students who have enthusiastically followed in Justice Ginsburg’s footsteps.
On February 5, 2020, the Entertainment Committee devoted its annual Twelfth Night show to Justice Ginsburg. A musical review written, produced, and performed by Committee members celebrated the Justice’s love of opera, her rise to internet meme-dom, and above all her trailblazing legacy in the U.S. judicial system.
Even as our Meeting Hall stands empty, it is still easy to recall Justice Ginsburg’s magnetic energy filling the space. We will continue to do our work – promoting excellence in legal practice, and upholding the rule of law and access to justice – in her spirit of excellence.
In September, at the “Women in the Law” program drawn from the planning committee work of the Second Circuit Judicial Conference (at which Justice Ginsburg often spoke), a number of the participants spoke about Justice Ginsburg, who had passed away the previous week:
