Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of law. That's how I'd like to be remembered.

I do think that the court has become more politicized. It was not always thus. I mean, the justices were not appointed for partisan reasons.

Sometimes I’m writing a dissent, and I’m thinking, ‘This is not going to persuade anybody. But maybe it will persuade a future court.’ My dissents are often not aimed at my colleagues, but at the future.

I became a lawyer because I did not want to be a kindergarten teacher.

My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and for her, that meant don't give way to emotions, don't be consumed by useless emotions like anger. The other was to be independent.

I wasn't 100 percent sure I would be confirmed by the Senate. But I thought it would be a shame if the best person for the job was not nominated because of fear of what might happen.

I think the notion that a woman's place is in the home, you know, is one that a lot of people still hold.

If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself, something to repair tears in your community, something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you.

I was a very un-noteworthy child. I was a good student, but I didn't stand out.

I think the greatest change has been in the composition of the court. When I came to the court, I was the second woman. Now there are three women.

I often said that if I had any talent in the world, it would be as an opera diva. But my voice is not up to it.

I think a good judge is one who listens. Who is open to persuasion. And who is willing to change her mind.

I was fortunate to be alive and a lawyer in the late 1960s when the women's rights movement was just beginning.

My dissenting opinions, like my briefs, are intended to persuade.

I love to teach. I mean, that's what I did for many years. And I found it enormously satisfying to see students grow.

I think sometimes people are just not aware of the unconscious bias that they may have.

I would like to see more women in all fields of endeavor. Not just law.

I was not a person who was born with any great talent. I worked very hard.

I think the best way to get people to understand is to tell them stories. To show them how things affect real people.

I am a very shy person. I was much more so when I was younger.