Remembering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is hooded by President Satish K. Tripathi and Merryl H. Tisch, chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Photo: Douglas Levere
Today, as I reflect on the remarkable life, groundbreaking career and outsized legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, my thoughts naturally turn to her unforgettable visit to the University at Buffalo last year.
When she had announced, earlier that summer, a recurrence of cancer, we assumed it would compel her to cancel her visit or—at a minimum—scale back her scheduled engagements.
And yet, as she had done throughout her life, Justice Ginsburg persisted. In keeping a promise to a late friend, she also upheld her commitment to our local legal community; our UB law students, whom she taught constitutional law; and our university community, whom she inspired with her profound wisdom and great moral clarity.
During Justice Ginsburg’s visit, it was an immense honor to preside over her SUNY Honorary Degree conferral ceremony. In harnessing her formidable legal acumen to champion social justice for the vulnerable, the marginalized and the disenfranchised, Justice Ginsburg embodied the values and ideals of the University at Buffalo and the SUNY system. In making it her life’s work to lift others, she had a transformative impact on society.
Although we have lost a trailblazer of historic stature, we can all take comfort that her monumental contributions to our American way of life live on.
