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1885, the Florida Constitution provides property tax exemption to widows and those permanently disabled. (Darden Miller)

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1885, the Florida Constitution provides property tax exemption to widows and those permanently disabled. (Darden Miller)

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FACTS:

Florida: There is a statute that provides widows, but not widowers, with a yearly $ 500 property tax exemption

A widower (plaintiff) who wanted to receive an exemption from the Tax Assessor's Office was denied, because in this statue there are no benefits provided to widowers, simply because they are believed to earn enough to pay property tax

The plaintiff then requested a declaratory judgment (Circuit Court for Dade County), because this statute violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

The Florida Supreme Court stated that this statue actually “reduced the disparity” between the (economical) opportunities and capabilities

Because of this the court determined this statue did not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Source used: https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-kahn-v-shevin

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KAHN v. SHEVIN | Case Brief for Law School | LexisNexis

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Was the tax statute that allowed an exemption for widows violative of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because the classification “widow” was based upon gender?

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1959-1961 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg works as a clerk under Judge Edmund Palmier

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1959-1961 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg works as a clerk under Judge Edmund Palmier

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Ginsburg clerked under Judge Edmund Palmier ’29 on the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York, enabling the support of professor Gerald Gunther. (Columbia University)

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg working at Rutgers Law School

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1963 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg is hired at Rutgers University. 

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1963 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg is hired at Rutgers University. 

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When Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hired at Rutgers University in 1963, she became one of the two female faculty members at Rutgers Law, which had 17 faculty staff at the time (Star-Ledger Guest Columnist).

Image Source:
Rutgers University. www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-honors-ruth-bader-ginsburg. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.

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Late 1960s - A request by Ginsburg's students

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Late 1960s - A request by Ginsburg's students

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Ginsburg's students ask her to teach a “seminar on women and the law”. However, upon discovering that there was barely any history of women in law, Ginsburg became inspired to start fighting for women's legal rights. She says in, a short film on Rutgers’ 250th anniversary called Our Revolutionary Spirit, that “Less than three years after starting the seminar, [she] was arguing gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court” (Rafei).

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1970 - First faculty advisor of Women's Rights Law Reporter

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1970 - First faculty advisor of Women's Rights Law Reporter

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Ginsburg agrees to become the first faculty advisor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter Journal after being asked to take on the role by Elizabeth Langer (the editor-of-chief at the time)—which had just been founded by Ann Boylan and Diane Crothers (Bloom).

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Ginsburg argues the brief (in which she was the principal author of) of the Reed vs. Reed argument before the Supreme Court—resulting in a misogynistic law being taken down (Rutgers.edu).

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1972 - The Women's Rights Law Reporter's first publication

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1972 - The Women's Rights Law Reporter's first publication

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The Women's Rights Law reporter launched their first publication—which contained parts of the Reed vs. Reed argument that Ginsburg participated in—with the help of faculty advisor Ruth Bader Ginsburg, becoming America’s first and oldest legal journal to be published in women’s legal rights (Bloom).

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1972 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg resigns from her job as a professor at Rutgers

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1972 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg resigns from her job as a professor at Rutgers

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg resigns from her job as a law professor at Rutgers University. After she left, the "Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall" was built in Rutgers Law School and is now a residential home to 330 students at the school (Moore).

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1972, Ruth Bader Ginsburg argues the Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld case

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1972, Ruth Bader Ginsburg argues the Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld case

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Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld case (Stephanie Puck): Stephen Wiesenfeld, who was working as a consultant, earned less money than his wife Paula Polatschek, a teacher who passed away during childbirth in 1972. Mr. Wiesenfeld was entitled to his wife’s social security survivor benefits after her death, even though in the past widowers were still obligated to make payments such as property tax, which widows did not need to pay. This was because it was believed in America that the man in every household earned the most money. Socially, this belief of husbands earning more than wives is not always true. This obligation shows a lot of discrimination against widowers who do not earn enough to pay for everythings without their partners.

In this case, RBG called out this discrimination by saying that the Social Security Act of 1935 discriminated against widowers because of their gender, and the belief that they earn more money.

Another case: Leon Goldfarb, widower of Hannah Goldfarb (worked as a secretary for 25 years), was challenged when trying to collect his late wife’s Social Security benefits. There was a lingering statute (Social Security Act) that stated Goldfarb could only get these benefits if Hannah Goldfarb had provided him with more than half of his financial support. This statute did not exist for women because they were believed to be the “less paid” person in a relationship.

Source use: Buck, Stephanie. “The on the Basis of Sex Story Wasn’t the Only Time Ruth Bader Ginsburg Used Cases about Men to Argue for Women’s Equality.” Time, Time, 24 Dec. 2018, time.com/5481422/rbg-movie-male-plaintiff-history/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2023.

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1972: Establishes the Women's Rights Project of ACLU

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1972: Establishes the Women's Rights Project of ACLU

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg found the Women’s Rights Project of ACLU—along with co-founder Brenda Feigen—by the purpose of progressing gender equality. As stated by Ginsburg herself, she "wanted to be a part of a general human rights agenda” since “Civil liberties are an essential part of the overall human rights concern -- the equality of all people and the ability to be free." ("ACLU")

Image Source:
ACLU. "EEOC FINAL LETTER." ACLU of Southern California, 12 May 2015, www.aclusocal.org/sites/default/files/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EEOC-FINAL-LETTER-05-11-2015.pdf. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

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1972: Pushes for the passage of Title IX with the Women's Rights Project

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1972: Pushes for the passage of Title IX with the Women's Rights Project

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Women’s Rights Project assisted to pass the Title IX legislation, which banned sex discrimination and advocated for the equalization of opportunities for all genders in educational institutions.

Image Source:
Bay College. Title IX. Bay College, www.baycollege.edu/student-life/health-safety/title-ix.php. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

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1973: Assists revision of Frontiero v. Richardson court ruling with the Women's Rights Project

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1973: Assists revision of Frontiero v. Richardson court ruling with the Women's Rights Project

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Ginsburg and the Women’s Rights Project aided the revision of the Frontiero v. Richardson court ruling, in which an Air Force officer—Sharron Frontiero—was disapproved of receiving housing and medical support for her husband the same way other Air Force staffs were able to acquire for their wives, indicating the implication that women were naturally dependant upon their spouses and men were expected to be financially stable without reliance upon their partners. Despite difficulties in working with Frontiero’s lawyers, she continued to persist in the litigation, eventually leading the case to the point where "Eight of the nine justices agreed that the Air Force was wrongly discriminating against female officers by denying their dependents benefits on the same terms as those offered to the dependent wives of male officers" (Feigen).

Image Source:
Bettmann. "Disgruntled Air Force Lieutenant and Husband Speaking to Reporter." Photograph. Getty Images, 9 Jan. 1971, Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

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1974, Ruth Bader Ginsburg loses the Kahn v. Shevin case

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1974, Ruth Bader Ginsburg loses the Kahn v. Shevin case

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Even though Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked hard as an activist to fight for equality, there was a case that she ended up losing. This case was called the Kahn v. Shevin case (Oyez), which took place in 1974. RBG did not succeed in winning a case that gave both windows and widowers the exemption of property tax exemption. RBG did not argue the case any further, but still worked hard to argue other cases. Since RBG lost this case, widowers are still obligated to pay property tax, which has its economical, political and social impacts. Economically, the government benefits from the property tax that widowers still pay, since they are getting more money. However, since widowers need to pay more, they need higher salaries and more jobs. Politically, this shows a lot of inequality between men and women in terms of laws, which is one of the reasons why Ruth Bader Ginsburg tried to even out this inequality. Lastly, this law socially impacts inequality by denying widowers the right to make a choice, which widows have. It is simply unfair that windowers have to pay property tax while widows do not. This inequality could potentially cause protests and conflicts to occur.

Source used:  “{{Meta.pageTitle}}.” {{Meta.siteName}}, 2023, www.oyez.org/cases/1973/73-78. Accessed 23 Jan. 2023.

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1980, June: Appointment to Court of Appeals, Columbia Circuit

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1980, June: Appointment to Court of Appeals, Columbia Circuit

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Jimmy Carter (U.S President at the time) in June of the year 1980. This was a crucial event in progressing her career as a judge, and led her to the high court. (“In Memoriam: Ruth Bader Ginsburg ʼ59”)

Source: “In Memoriam: Ruth Bader Ginsburg ʼ59.” Columbia.edu, 2020, www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/memoriam-ruth-bader-ginsburg-59. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.

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Image source: Columbia Law School Archive.

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Primary Document: 1980, August 5th Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Alumna Speech at Columbia Law School

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Primary Document: 1980, August 5th Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Alumna Speech at Columbia Law School

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives an Alumni Speech in  Columbia Law School on August 5th, 1980, according to Columbia Archives: Writing by Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59.

Document Citation: Columbia Law School. "Inside the Columbia Archives: Writing by Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59." Columbia Law School, 2018, www.law.columbia.edu/news/archive/inside-columbia-archives-writing-ruth-bader-ginsburg-59. Accessed 26 Jan. 2023.

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Columbia Law School Alumni Association (August 5th, 1980)

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Image source: The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

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President Carter greets Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the Oval Office. Photograph taken at a reception for Women Federal Judges on October 3rd, 1980. (Suggs)

Source citation:
Suggs, Ernie. “Carter on Ginsburg: “a Beacon of Justice.”” Ajc, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 19 Sept. 2020, www.ajc.com/jimmy-carter/carter-on-ginsburg-a-beacon-of-justice/YDMU2V7TIVCC5JNZ43CM55H3AU/. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.

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1980-1993: Ginsburg's Career in the Court of Appeals and its Influence on her Reputation

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1980-1993: Ginsburg's Career in the Court of Appeals and its Influence on her Reputation

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg spends 13 years in the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit—a respectable place holding a particularly high amount of power out of the other legislative offices in the country—and has established for herself a respectable career and credible character as a judge during her time there.

The senators involved in her nomination and hearings display a great confidence in her abilities, and acclaim her to be a renowned figure in the field of law.

For instance, the Honorary Daniel Patrick Moynihan describes how, “for the last 13 years has been one of our Nation's most respected jurists on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit” (One Hundred Third Congress).

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(1980-)1993: Influence that Experience in Court of Appeals had on Ginsburg's Career

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(1980-)1993: Influence that Experience in Court of Appeals had on Ginsburg's Career

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Ginsburg’s role in the federal court was crucial for members of the legislation and of the court to understand the perspective which she held (whether she was advocative, moderate, etc.) for particular subjects, and to ultimately decide whether she was suitable for the role.

For instance, Senator Metzenbaum mentioned in Ginsburg’s hearing in her nomination to the Supreme Court, ““[a]s a member of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, you participated in about half a dozen antitrust cases. To be frank, those decisions have not given me a very clear idea of which view you take of the antitrust laws”, (One Hundred Third Congress) indicating how Ginsburg did not demonstrate a particularity for some cases.

However, Ginsburg’s judicial accounts during her time at the bench (which amount up to about seven hundred, counting the unpublished) affirm her abilities as a judge, alongside her sense of responsibility that she held for her role (being able to separate her own views from her decisions that she makes as a judge), prompted the senate to consider her as suitable for the Supreme Court.

Although it was debated regarding whether Ginsburg would be able to adjust to the power that acquiring a role in the Supreme Court would inflict—enabling her to not be bound to obeying the law, but instead free to enforce it—her logical and calm attitude that she displayed in the federal court, suggest her to be a suitable nomination for the role.

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Primary Document: Accounts on the Nomination of Ginsburg to the Supreme Court

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Primary Document: Accounts on the Nomination of Ginsburg to the Supreme Court

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Source: US Government Printing Office, “Hearings Before the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate One Hundred Third Congress First Session on the Nomination of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.”

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Our project document which includes the references to our sources.

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