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Northwestern professors remember Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

‘Justice RBG was an American icon’

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died today at the age of 87. She visited Northwestern Law in 2009, where answered a broad range of questions “often delighting the audience of 700-plus in the school’s auditorium,” according to the Northwestern News story. 

“I and everyone who met with her encountered her sharp intellect, commitment to justice and passion for the work of the Court,” recalls James Speta, interim dean of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. “Her dedicated public service, and her pioneering litigation for civil rights, have made an important mark on the law and our profession.”

The following professors are available for comment.

James Speta, interim dean, Elizabeth Froehling Horner Professor of Law, can be reached at James.Speta@law.northwestern.edu.

Martin Redish, the Louis and Harriet Ancel Professor of Law and Public Policy at Northwestern Law, teaches and writes on the subjects of federal jurisdiction, civil procedure, freedom of expression, and constitutional law. He can be reached at m-redish@law.northwestern.edu.

Alvin Tillery is an associate professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern. His research and teaching interests are in the fields of American politics and political theory. His research in American politics focuses on American political development, racial and ethnic politics and media and politics. He can be reached at alvin.tillery@northwestern.edu.

Quote from Professor Tillery
“Justice RBG was an American icon. As a young lawyer, she did more than perhaps any other figure to advance women’s equality through her landmark victories as a member of the Supreme Court Bar. She continued to be a champion for gender and racial equality during her tenure on the nation’s highest court.

"Her passing will undoubtedly touch off a round of crass politics about her replacement as President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell will rush to elevate someone in order to claim victory in time for the November election — thereby violating the dubious McConnell Rule.”