A Conversation with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg talked about her early days as a law clerk, her advice to law students, and her judicial philosophy. Topics included continuing importance of the Equal Protection Clause (enacted in 1868), a recent conversation with Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor about judicial fashion, the effect of the decision-making process on the court’s ultimate opinions, the importance of oral argument, and the controversy over citing opinions of international courts in Supreme Court decisions.

Justice Ginsburg, serving for two days as the Howard J. Trienens Visiting Judicial Scholar, held this conversation on stage with two Northwestern University School of Law professors. She also responded to questions from members of the audience. close