Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Virginia Military Institute: A Culmination of Strategic Success

Authors

Scott M. Smiler, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

The note examines Justice Ginsburg's pivotal role in shaping the Supreme Court's approach to gender-based discrimination, particularly through her advocacy for heightened scrutiny of such classifications. It highlights how her efforts culminated in the landmark decision of United States v. Virginia, where the Court ruled that Virginia Military Institute's (VMI) exclusion of women violated the Equal Protection Clause. The decision reinforced the requirement that gender-based classifications must meet an exceedingly persuasive justification, aligning with Ginsburg's long-standing commitment to dismantling gender stereotypes and advancing equal protection principles.

Disciplines

Civil Rights and Discrimination | Judges | Law | Law and Gender

Recommended Citation

Scott M. Smiler, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Virginia Military Institute: A Culmination of Strategic Success, 4 Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just. 541 (1998).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol4/iss2/7