My Own Words

A trailblazing figure in the fight for gender equality, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (aka the Notorious RBG) shares a best-hits compilation of her writings (beginning with an editorial she wrote in eighth grade!). To say this is essential reading would be an understatement. Recommended By Moses M., Powells.com

The first book from Ruth Bader Ginsburg since becoming a Supreme Court Justice in 1993—a witty, engaging, serious, and playful collection of writings and speeches from the woman who has had a powerful and enduring influence on law, women’s rights, and popular culture.

My Own Words offers Justice Ginsburg on wide-ranging topics, including gender equality, the workways of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book’s sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. Justice Ginsburg has written an introduction to the book, and Hartnett and Williams introduce each chapter, giving biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted. This is a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of America’s most influential women.

"After nearly a quarter-century on the bench, Ginsburg is unquestionably the most starworthy of a cohort that typically relies heavily upon anonymity....Ginsburg has captured the popular imagination for the depth of her devotion to basic rights for all humanity but most especially for those causes that advance gender equality. With the assistance of her official biographers, Mary Hartnett and Wendy H. Williams, Ginsburg offers a compilation of her finest writing, beginning with an editorial for her school newspaper when she was only 13 years old and culminating with highlights from the Court’s most recent term. Paying homage to the trailblazers she has admired throughout her career, Ginsburg also speaks to the broader issues and background ruminations behind groundbreaking Court decisions. Readers will gain unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court and garner unparalleled appreciation for one of its finest minds." Library Journal

"An excellent introduction to this Renaissance woman...cogent, well-reasoned, and accessible....Even those who have followed the octogenarian jurist over her long and distinguished tenure on the Supreme Court will find plenty of less expected items to relish....At a time of bitter political partisanship, her respect and affection for colleagues with different views, as displayed in posthumous tributes to fellow justices Rehnquist and Scalia, are very welcome. The variety of subjects is impressive, and Ginsburg’s gift for concision enables her to discuss them in enough detail to engage interest while leaving the reader wanting more." Publishers Weekly

Born in 1933, Ruth Bader Ginsburg attended the Harvard and Columbia University Law Schools, and taught law at Rutgers and Columbia. During the 1970s, while teaching at Columbia, she was instrumental in launching the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, and became the leading advocate in the Supreme Court for gender equality. She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in 1980 and to the US Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. In 2009 Forbes named Ginsburg among the 100 Most Powerful Women, Glamour named her one of their 1993 Women of the Year and in 2012 presented her with their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 Time listed her as an Icon in the Time 100, and in 2016 Fortune named her one of the World’s Greatest Leaders.