Timothy Lewis Reflects on the Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Hon. Timothy K. Lewis appeared on CBS Pittsburgh on September 18, 2020, commenting on his personal memories of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and his thoughts about her legacy.

• See the video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EeTWSVH7cM. 

Judge Lewis served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit during the last year that Justice Ginsburg served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge Lewis met Justice Ginsburg during that time, and also knew her while she later served on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Judge Lewis reflected: “Justice Ginsburg was a giant of the law, a force for equality in our nation. She was a fine, fine person and a wonderful judge and justice. Her legacy will continue to resonate for generations to come. Her career as a prominent attorney and women’s rights advocate falls in the same category of freedom fighters for equality as Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall. Early in her career, she developed an influential strategic approach to constitutional law and for allowing our Constitution to be understood as a vehicle for equal rights and equality. Justice Ginsburg’s entire career advanced both of these principles consistent with the finest ideals of our nation, with which we still continue to struggle. As an attorney, the cases she argued before the Supreme Court allowed for the recognition that the Equal Protection Clause fully applies to women’s rights, and her work on these cases demonstrated that we all benefit when freedom is awakened for any group in our country. Finally, her legacy also involves the recognition that talent is distributed equally but opportunity is not, and that attorneys, judges and justices should be at the forefront of ensuring the protection of equal opportunity for all. Justice Ginsburg was a unique leader in this cause.”