Essay Questions

What first attracted Ruth to her husband?

In an interview, Ginsburg describes how she first fell in love with Marty. She explains that "there was something amazingly wonderful about this man. He was the first boy I ever knew who cared that I had a brain. Most guys in the 50s didn't." This attracted Ruth as she felt respected and appreciated by him, leading to a happy and long marriage. Ruth comments frequently about how Marty respected her aims and ambitions and supported her throughout her career.

How does Ginsburg describe her experience at Harvard Law School?

Ginsburg described her experience at Harvard as being somewhat uncomfortable, as she was the only woman in 500 students. She said that it often felt as if she were being watched, and she felt she had to perform well because she felt that if she didn't perform well she was failing not just for herself but "for all women." She also describes being discriminated against a number of times; for example, she was restricted access to certain rooms because she was female. In a well-known anecdote, Ginsburg describes the dean's dinner for the women in the first year, in which all the women were asked to justify the fact they were taking the seat of a man.

What is The Law Review and why is it significant?

According to a student in the class above, Ruth's husband Marty had been boasting that Ruth was going to be on "The Law Review." A classmate then explains that the Law Review was a prestigious group at Harvard University, and in order to join, candidates had to be within the top 25 academically in their year. In her second year, Ruth was accepted onto the Law Review, showing that she was academically gifted.