Let the Record Show: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Visits UC Law SF in 2011

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks with students during her visit to UC Law San Francisco in 2011, offering insights into her judicial career and legal philosophy.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is remembered as a legal icon who shaped our legal system on voting rights, reproductive freedom, and marriage equality. In between jam-packed sessions of deciding consequential cases, the late Supreme Court justice found time to visit UC Law San Francisco on Sept. 15, 2011.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg answers questions and shares insights from her work on the bench during a constitutional law class.

Ginsburg made a special appearance in Professor David Faigman’s constitutional law class, where she spoke to students and answered questions. It was a rare opportunity to hear directly from a legal legend who helped shape interpretations of laws on civil rights, equal protection, and more.

During her visit, Ginsburg also met with student editors and staff of the UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice, then known as the UC Hastings Women’s Law Journal.

Professor David Faigman listens intently as students in in his constitutional law class interact with one of the nation’s leading jurists.

Later that evening, Ginsburg sat down for an interview in front of a live audience with Professor Joan C. Williams, a renowned scholar of social inequality and employment law who now leads the Equality Action Center at UC Law SF.

Ginsburg spoke with Williams for over an hour, sharing stories from her time on the bench, discussing the state of the American legal system, and offering cooking tips and relationship advice, according to NBC Bay Area.

One day earlier, Ginsburg had to go down an inflatable slide to evacuate a San Francisco-bound plane at an airport in Washington, D.C., after smoke was detected in an aircraft engine. Ginsburg joked that she hadn’t planned that as part of her journey to San Francisco.

Ginsburg’s visit offered students a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the nation’s most influential jurists. Her presence at the law school reflects UC Law SF’s commitment to connecting students with thought leaders who have shaped the nation’s legal landscape.

Let the Record Show is an occasional series that showcases people, moments, and milestones from UC Law San Francisco’s past.