In a New York Times interview conducted after her attendance of President Obama’s first Congressional address, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses the issue of how the gender of women justices affects the outcome of some of our nation’s most important court decisions. Justice Ginsburg demonstrated the notion that women offer different viewpoints than men, simply because of their different experiences and interests, highlighting the importance of the involvement of women in legislative matters. In the interview, Justice Ginsburg expressed how the female minority in the judicial system often leads to varied levels of tolerance for behaviors of judiciaries based on gender. For instance, she explains how the recent nomination of Judge Sotomayor has induced controversial opinions about how female figures should act within the legal system. Her point raises the question of the extent to which stereotypes and expectations about others’ behavior should be tolerated according the inherent differences of men and women in general.  The interview posits the questions of whether a female judge can be considered any less honorable than a male judge for strict decisions or harsh behavior in a courtroom. The interviewer presented many examples of specific gender-related cases whereby issues of sexual harassment, abortion, and civil rights were handled differently according to the gendered perspectives of judges in a courtroom.  Ultimately, Justice Ginsburg explicated her opinions about the critical role gender plays in the legal system and how uneven representation and gendered viewpoints can determine the outcomes of legal decisions, rather than the law itself.

To read the full interview, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/magazine/12ginsburg-t.html