Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes
InfluenceLegislationMoney in PoliticsPolitics I think members of the legislature, people who have to run for office, know the connection between money and influence on what laws get passed.
DisciplineEducationExpectationsFamily InfluenceParent-Child Relationship My mother was a powerful influence. She made me toe the line. If I didn't have a perfect report card, she showed her disappointment.
EqualityFeminismGender RolesResponsibilitySociety Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.
Career ChallengesDiscriminationLegal ProfessionPerseveranceResilience Not a law firm in the entire city of New York bid for my employment as a lawyer when I earned my degree.
Citizens UnitedDemocracyMoney in PoliticsPolitical InfluenceVoter Rights If there was one decision I would overrule, it would be 'Citizens United.' I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be.
BusinessCommunityDiversityOrganizationReligion Religious organizations exist to foster the interests of persons subscribing to the same religious faith. Not so of for-profit corporations. Workers who sustain the operations of those corporations commonly are not drawn from one religious community.
CautionComplexityDecision MakingIndividualitySkepticism I am fearful, or suspicious, of generalizations... They cannot guide me reliably in making decisions about particular individuals.
AspirationDivinityHumilitySelf-PerceptionTalent If I had any talent that God could give me, I would be a great diva.
Dreams and AspirationsJusticeLegal ReformPolitical Change It won't happen. It would be an impossible dream. But I'd love to see 'Citizens United' overruled.
ClarityJudiciaryJusticeLawPublic Trust On the whole, we think of our consumers - other judges, lawyers, the public. The law that the Supreme Court establishes is the law that they must live by, so all things considered, it's better to have it clearer than confusing.
EmpowermentFamily ValuesIndependenceSelf-Identity My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.
FutureGenerationParentingResponsibilitySociety Who will take responsibility for raising the next generation?
ElectionsPoliticsVoter Turnout The Democrats do fine in presidential elections; their problem is they can't get out the vote in the midterm elections.
CreativityEducationExpressionInfluenceLiterature At Cornell University, my professor of European literature, Vladimir Nabokov, changed the way I read and the way I write. Words could paint pictures, I learned from him. Choosing the right word, and the right word order, he illustrated, could make an enormous difference in conveying an image or an idea.
ArtMagicMusicOperaPerfection I think Mozart's operas 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Don Giovanni' are the two most perfect ever written. The music is magical.
CitizenshipImmigration PolicyLegal RightsNationalityStatelessness You would have a huge statelessness problem if you don't consider a child born abroad a U.S. citizen.
CitizenshipGovernanceHistoryLawUnity We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, 'We, the people.'
DiversityEqualityFreedomHopeWelcoming Spirit America is known as a country that welcomes people to its shores. All kinds of people. The image of the Statue of Liberty with Emma Lazarus' famous poem. She lifts her lamp and welcomes people to the golden shore, where they will not experience prejudice because of the color of their skin, the religious faith that they follow.
AchievementDutyJusticePerseveranceResponsibility We had to go on and do the work of the court and we did.
Art And CreativityHistory and CultureHumor and SatireLaw and JusticeLegal Philosophy In 2015, an opera opened about me and Justice Antonin Scalia. It's called 'Scalia/Ginsburg.' The composer, Derrick Wang, has degrees in music from Harvard and Yale. Enrolled in law school, he was reading dueling opinions by me and Justice Scalia and decided he could compose an appealing comic opera from them.
Confusion in MediaCourt DivisionsElection LawJusticeLegal Disputes The experience I don't want to see repeated occurred in 'Bush v. Gore.' The Court divided five to four. There were four separate dissents, and that confused the press. In fact, some of the reporters announced that the decision was seven-two. There was no time to get together.
Gender DynamicsGender RolesHistorical PerspectivesIntelligenceSocietal Expectations In the '50s, too many women, even though they were very smart, they tried to make the man feel that he was brainier. It was a sad thing.
CommunicationGentlenessInfluencePersuasionRespect If you want to influence people, you want them to accept your suggestions, you don't say, 'You don't know how to use the English language,' or 'How could you make that argument?' It will be welcomed much more if you have a gentle touch than if you are aggressive.
Career GrowthLegal EducationLifelong LearningProfessional DevelopmentPublic Service If you just needed the skills to pass the bar, two years would be enough. But if you think of law as a learned profession, then a third year is an opportunity for, on the one hand, public service and practice experience, but on the other, also to take courses that round out the law that you didn't have time to do.
CollaborationJusticeRelationshipsRespectUnderstanding I think we understand that for the Court to work well, we have to not only respect but genuinely like each other.
Gender EqualityLeadershipLegal HistoryProgress and ChangeWomen in Law When I graduated from law school in 1959, there wasn't a single woman on any federal bench. It wouldn't be a realistic ambition for a woman to want to become a federal judge. It wasn't realistic until Jimmy Carter became our president.