The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg First Edition

If you are like me, you recognize that Justice Ginsburg is one of the most important members of the current Court; but I also realized that I knew relatively little about her background, pre-court achievements, and Court behavior. I found this collection of essays, several by former Ginsburg clerks, to be just what I needed to gain a fuller understanding of the Justice. The sixteen essays are allocated to four general topics.The first section, "Shaping a Legacy," focuses upon Ginsburg's legal teaching career, some early cases as an advocate, and her views on feminism. I found the essay (by Linda Kerber) on her pioneering role in litigating against gender discrimination and the legal theories upon which she relied to be most helpful. A complementary essay by Neil and Reva Siegel on Ginsburg's argument that pregnancy discrimination was really sex discrimination is also substantial. These two essays helped me to understand why Ginsburg had such an impact in these areas where she is considered a giant figure in their development.Part II is captioned "Rights and Remedies" and deals with some of her major decisions once on the D.C. Circuit and Supreme Court benches. Her skills as a judicial craftsman are evident in her D.C. Circuit decision addressing how segregated academies should be treated under the tax laws. Ginsburg's later approach of dealing with standing issues on a pragmatic basis is evident in this case where she held that the academies were not entitled to tax exempt status. There are some reflections in Ginsburg's later Supreme Court VMI holding of this earlier circuit court decision. VMI is, of course, one of her most notable decisions, and is the subject of a superb essay by Cary Franklin. Particularly interesting to me were two essays in this section on Ginsburg's impact in the area of criminal justice, not a topic I would usually associate with her. Both of these two essays (by Lisa Kern Griffin and Aziz Z. Huq) are valuable because they focus on Ginsburg's method of dealing with criminal justice issues and she handles restrictive precedents and statutes.. While cautious and pragmatic in this area, she has developed techniques that have impacted in areas such as post-conviction relief and limiting the role of sentencing guidelines.The three essays in Part III are devoted to "structuralism." According to Scott Dodson (who edited this volume), Ginsburg is the (civil) "resident proceduralist" on the Court. While this essay is probably a bit much for the non-lawyer reader, it again demonstrates how skilled a judicial craftsman Ginsburg has become and the incredible amount of work she invests in her opinions. Particularly important in this area is her continuing determination to enhance access to the federal courts and her techniques for curing jurisdictional defects. The remaining two essays in this section discuss aspects such as how Ginsburg navigates federalism relative to pre-emption and her handling of native American legal issues. In a truly insightful essay by Deborah Jones Merritt, the focus is on how Ginsburg deals with difficult federalism issues, such as cases arising under the commerce and spending clauses and enforcing the Civil War amendments. Given the Rehnquist and Roberts courts' somewhat restrictive views in these areas, the reason Ginsburg has had some major successes is tied directly to her careful methodology analyzed in this essay.The final section of essays ("The Jurist") focuses upon such topics as Ginsburg's confirmation; use use of dissents--particularly oral dissents--to "court the people"; how she participates in oral arguments; and the "fire and ice" components of her temperament. Put all these essays together, and the book provides a valuable perspective on Ginsburg, her judicial techniques, her substantive impact, and why she continues to be so influential. As the Justice continues to fight off calls that she retire so the current president can fill the vacancy before the 2016 election, this book demonstrates while she should only exit when she feels it appropriate and not before.

Personalized Ruth Badger Ginsburg. Made me feel like I knew her and not just as a Supreme court Judge. Also realized the "gender" discrimination she went through.

This is a remarkable book, reflecting myriad analytical views of the tremendous contributions of this legendary woman. I applaud the authors of the different pieces and the compiler and editor for his choices.

Amazing woman! I so appreciate her work but did not read the end as it was repetitive

What a rich, interesting anthology of essays, highlighting the contributions and judicial philosophy of a conscientious, pioneering Supreme Court Justice, focusing in particular on her perspectives on gender equality and how they illuminated her jurisprudence.

I'm having trouble reading it. Print is too small for my reading glasses. I'm due for new ones but I'm afraid I'll need to resort to a magnifying glass. I'm quite disappointed.

Bought this for a school project for daughter. She loved it and found it really helpful She enjoyed book and has been learning alot.

It is full of legal articles & papers that lead up to her reaching the Supreme Court. Was very disappointed in the book.