Notorious RBG Summary

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

1. Roots of a Trailblazer: A Tragic Yet Constructive Childhood

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, affectionately known as "Kiki" in her youth, grew up in Brooklyn during a time when Jewish families faced systemic discrimination. Her early years were shaded by personal tragedy, including the loss of her sister to meningitis and her mother to cervical cancer. Despite these challenges, Kiki’s upbringing was filled with encouragement for intellectual growth, largely due to her mother’s determination.

Her mother, Celia, had sacrificed her own educational aspirations, choosing instead to support her brother’s Cornell education. Celia instilled two guiding principles in Kiki: to reign in unproductive emotions like anger and envy and to maintain her independence. Kiki’s life mirrored these lessons as she focused tirelessly on academic success, eventually earning a spot at Cornell University.

While her losses taught her resilience, her mother's influence empowered her to pursue education fearlessly. The $8,000 Celia secretly saved for Kiki’s education symbolized her enduring faith in her daughter's potential—a gift that set Ruth on her transformative path.

Examples

• RBG’s quiet but intellectually driven childhood involved devouring Nancy Drew novels that reflected her ideas of independence.
• She secured scholarships to Cornell thanks to her academic diligence, even as she privately endured her family’s struggles.
• Celia’s saved funds allowed RBG to pursue studies that would change her life.

2. A Marriage of Equals: The Importance of Marty Ginsburg

At Cornell, RBG met Marty Ginsburg, who became both her life partner and an instrumental supporter of her goals. While many women around her sought "MRS. degrees" during the 1950s, RBG sought intellectual stimulation and a career. Marty stood out as the first man she met who valued her intellect and ambitions equally.

Their marriage wasn’t a traditional relationship for their time. Marty supported RBG’s law career unconditionally, often prioritizing her success over his own. During Marty’s battle with cancer, RBG stayed up nightly to assist him with his law school assignments while excelling in her own studies. This partnership set the tone for their shared values of mutual respect and responsibility.

The couple’s dynamic symbolized a progressive way of sharing family and work responsibilities long before it became widespread. Marty’s cheerleading bolstered Ruth’s confidence, enabling her to embrace challenges with determination.

Examples

• Marty encouraged RBG to continue excelling in law school by helping her find time to study amidst family duties.
• His push for her Supreme Court nomination in 1993 cemented his role as her unwavering supporter.
• In their family, Marty’s culinary skill complemented Ruth’s work-focused schedule—a true partnership.

3. Stepping Into Law as a Woman in the 1950s

RBG’s journey into law began when she enrolled at Harvard Law School, one of only nine women in her class. The environment was openly discriminatory; women had restricted access to certain libraries, and she faced constant scrutiny as a mother juggling studies. Yet, RBG flourished, becoming one of the few women on the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

Her ability to adapt came in handy when her husband’s cancer led her to take profound multitasking measures—balancing motherhood, studies, and helping Marty graduate on time. When Marty’s recovery took them to New York, Ruth transferred to Columbia Law School, where she once again became a top-ranking student.

Despite her academic excellence and clerking experiences, law firms often rejected her because of her gender. These barriers only deepened her resolve to carve out spaces for women in the legal profession, laying groundwork for her eventual advocacy work.

Examples

• RBG managed two hours of sleep nightly to support Marty’s law school success and her Harvard coursework.
• She joined Columbia Law’s prestigious Law Review, becoming one of the top-ranked graduates in her class.
• RBG faced rejection from elite judges, such as Felix Frankfurter, who believed women could not meet professional standards.

4. Teaching and Secrecy: Battling Gender Bias at Work

After graduating, RBG discovered firsthand the assumptions legal employers held about women, particularly married women and mothers. Even so, she found meaningful work clerking and later teaching law, although biased rules still demanded she hide her second pregnancy from Rutgers University to maintain her position.

While clerking for Judge Edmund L. Palmieri, RBG leveraged her intellect to build credibility despite skepticism from male colleagues. By participating in a judicial collaboration in Sweden, she observed progressive gender norms and applied her insights to her later advocacy for gender equality in U.S. courts.

Keeping her pregnancy hidden was both a pragmatic and heartbreaking decision, reflecting how women in her time were expected to prioritize workplace optics over family realities. RBG internalized these experiences, dedicating herself to systemic legal change.

Examples

• RBG's professor campaigned tirelessly to secure her clerking jobs against the odds.
• She kept her second pregnancy secret at Rutgers until her contract was secured.
• Her time studying Sweden's judicial system informed her feminist legal strategies.

5. Advocating for Gender Equality Through Law

RBG found her greatest calling as a litigator fighting sex-based discrimination. Volunteering for the ACLU, she created strategies to bring gender-clause cases like Reed v. Reed to court. Through meticulous arguments, she educated judges about discriminatory “protective” laws.

RBG’s work frequently extended beyond women’s issues. Her case Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld highlighted how gender bias disadvantaged men, too. By combining clear, compelling arguments with incremental victories, she cemented her role as a legal architect of equal civil rights.

Whether ensuring fair military family benefits or challenging Social Security assumptions, Ruth effectively laid the legal foundation for modern equal rights reforms.

Examples

• RBG’s Reed v. Reed brief was the first to effectively strike a law on gender terms under the Equal Protection Clause.
• Wins in cases like Frontiero v. Richardson secured military benefits for female service members’ families.
• Her advocacy for Stephen Wiesenfeld demonstrated her broad view of gender discrimination.

6. Rising Through the Judicial Ranks

Through years of steady, meticulous lawyering, RBG caught the attention of influential figures. Even while teaching at Columbia, she led efforts to secure fair pay for women faculty. Her work caught the eye of President Jimmy Carter, who nominated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 1980s.

Her reputation as a consensus-builder set her apart, earning her endorsement when President Bill Clinton sought to appoint a new Supreme Court justice in 1993. Marty Ginsburg’s behind-the-scenes campaigning ensured her candidacy gained serious traction.

Once appointed, RBG balanced moderacy and reformist tendencies, aligning her legal goals with opportunities like the Virginia Military Institute case on women’s inclusion.

Examples

• At Columbia, she successfully backed legal challenges on unequal pensions.
• President Jimmy Carter valued her balance and appointed her to the Court of Appeals.
• Bill Clinton was impressed with RBG’s measured approach and ideals during the nomination process.

7. Strategic Dissents: A Voice for the Underrepresented

As the Supreme Court became more conservative under George W. Bush’s presidency, RBG shifted her focus. Her dissents became tools to express resistance, as seen in cases like Gonzales v. Carhart, where she opposed abortion limitations.

Her dissent in the Ledbetter v. Goodyear pay discrimination case underscored her belief in equal workplace treatment. Each dissent built her public persona as a moral compass for progressive issues. Today, her velvet "dissent necklace" symbolizes her unwavering convictions.

Despite mounting calls for her retirement, RBG used her dissenting voice to spotlight injustices and galvanize public advocacy.

Examples

• RBG characterized pay discrimination rulings as setbacks for working women.
• Her Voting Rights Act dissent likened reversing its statutes to discarding umbrellas in a rainstorm.
• Hobby Lobby v. Burwell reflected her most argumentative dissents against religious justifications for birth control denial.

8. Emergence as a Pop Icon

RBG’s dissent visibility reached viral online heights, sparking memes and celebrations among younger generations. Her comparisons to rapper Notorious B.I.G.—both hailing from Brooklyn—captured how unexpectedly she resonated as both a cultural figure and legal leader.

Internet movements turned her into a feminist hero symbolized in costumes, tattoos, and even comedy skits. While her professional demeanor remained, RBG embraced the lighthearted tributes, remarking humorously about her alter ego.

Publicity empowered RBG to become not only a legal influence—but also cultural shorthand for resilience.

Examples

• Tumblr memes established RBG as a social media phenomenon.
• Public figures mimicked her fiery dissents on shows like Saturday Night Live.
• Social media buzz lent broader awareness to the dangers of diminishing civil rights protections.

9. Refusing Retirement to Pursue a Bigger Purpose

Calls for RBG’s retirement increased as she aged, but her focus remained. Diagnosed with multiple cancers over time, RBG demonstrated relentless physical and mental fitness, prioritizing her judicial commitments.

Her ethos stems from representing American women at life’s highest bench as one of few female justices. As long as her health sustains, RBG maintains she will continue—believing representation and advocacy still need her.

RBG’s tenacity exemplifies determination, ensuring her working life remains synonymous with judicial passion.

Examples

• She adopted fitness routines after her 1999 cancer diagnosis to sustain her strength.
• Her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2009 didn’t deter her from Supreme Court duties.
• RBG refused to retire under Obama’s administration, sensing unfinished work.

Takeaways

1. Champion education and personal growth as tools for paving change in any field.
2. Cultivate respectful, supportive relationships that empower mutual success—both at home and work.
3. Stand firm in your convictions while seeking to educate and inspire those who oppose you.