Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ginsburg finished law school in 1959. She had the best grades in her class. But she still had a tough time finding a job. Most companies wouldn’t hire women. They thought Ginsburg would be too busy caring for her daughter to do a good job. 

Finally, Ginsburg was hired as a law professor, a teacher at a university. But she made less money than male professors. Ginsburg thought this was wrong. 

She took her case, or problem, to a court of law. The judge who was in charge of the court agreed with her. Women should get equal pay. Ginsburg won the case!

In the 1970s, Ginsburg kept fighting against discrimination. That’s the unfair treatment of certain groups of people. 

She argued six cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in our country. It has nine justices. They make decisions about cases and laws that affect all of us. 

Ginsburg dreamed of being a justice. But there were few female judges in the U.S.

Ginsburg kept working hard. Then, in 1993, Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court! She was the second female justice in history. 

For 27 years, Ginsburg used her job on the Court to fight for equal pay and equal opportunities for all. 

“I try to teach . . . how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like,” Ginsburg said.  

She died in 2020, at the age of 87. People honor her memory by continuing to fight for equal rights.

1. What is the section “A Rough Start” mostly about?
2. According to the article, what is discrimination? Describe a time when Ginsburg experienced it.
3. Based on the article, why is being a U.S. Supreme Court justice an important job?