U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg visit brings additional excitement to opening of academic year

For third-year law student Gina Piva, meeting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or being in the same room as the Justice, “has been a ‘bucket list’ item” for a long time.

Second-year law student Natasha Prasad calls Justice Ginsburg a “trailblazer who has fought her entire life to pave the way for women everywhere.”

And second-year student Christina Cottone says Justice Ginsburg is the reason she decided to go to law school.

While the first day of the academic year is always an exciting time at UB, the start of the fall semester is even more special this year with the visit today of the iconic U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Justice Ginsburg’s visit is being hosted by the School of Law and the UB Law Alumni Association, the Bar Association of Erie County, the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, and the Minority Bar Association of Western New York.

Justice Ginsburg will be welcomed to campus by President Satish K. Tripathi and his wife, Kamlesh; Provost Charles F. Zukoski and his wife, Barbara Morgan; School of Law Dean Aviva Abramovsky; and SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson and Acting SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Merryl H. Tisch.

At 11 a.m., Justice Ginsburg will receive a SUNY honorary degree and take part in a Q&A with Dean Abramovsky. Justice Ginsburg will also be a special guest at an evening program at Kleinhans Music Hall for members and guests of the local legal community. “A Conversation with Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” to take place from 6-7:30 p.m., also will include a Q&A with Justice Ginsburg led by Dean Abramovsky, along with Bridget M. O’Connell, president of the Bar Association of Erie County; Scott C. Becker, president of the UB Law Alumni Association; Elizabeth M. Fox-Solomon, president of the Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York; and Brittany Jones, president of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York.

The campus has been buzzing about Justice Ginsburg’s visit since it was first announced in May. Tickets to the honorary degree ceremony were snapped up almost immediately after an email went out to the wider UB community announcing their availability.

The program at Kleinhans is also sold out and is being livestreamed to an overflow crowd in the Mary Seaton Room.

Law students — female law students in particular — are excited about the Justice’s visit.

Piva is excited to be fulfilling her “bucket list.”

“I know this will be an experience I can reflect on for the rest of my life,” Piva says, adding that she hopes Justice Ginsburg will talk about “the current issues dividing the country,” such as immigration, as well as “the everyday aspects of practicing law. I can only imagine what her sage advice for law students could be!”

Prasad calls the visit “a dream come true.”

“Justice Ginsburg’s life and career is an inspiration for people across the U.S. and worldwide — especially for me being a woman with aspirations in law,” Prasad says. “I look up to her life, her struggles, and how she overcame the obstacles with patience and perseverance.

“Having read about her life, and watched her documentary (“RGB”) and the recent movie (“On the Basis of Sex”), I am excited to see my real-life hero, and I am hoping she shares her experiences as a law student, and as a law professional.”

Cottone says that as an aspiring immigration attorney, “Justice Ginsburg’s commitment to do the right thing will always remain paramount in my mind and decisions. This is a huge moment for all of us at UB, and something we all will remember forever.”

Third-year student Meghan Zickl says she hopes Justice Ginsburg talks about how she has remained motivated throughout the long legal battles she took on to fight sex discrimination.

“Additionally, I hope she talks to us about how she handles adversity and continues to work for what was right and the good of all people, despite plenty of backlash,” Zickl says, adding that she also would like to hear how the justices discuss cases together and what the process is like.

“I am just excited to hear anything she has to say,” adds second-year student Cecilia Meyer, who calls Justice Ginsburg “awe-inspiring” and her visit to UB a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“Justice Ginsburg visiting UB is a historic moment, and I cannot believe that I get to be part of it.

“I think her visit is a great way to kick off the school year.”