Happy Birthday, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On this day in 1933, Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn, New York to Russian, Jewish immigrant parents. After marrying Martin Ginsburg in 1954 and taking his name, she attended law school, graduating in 1959. As Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she has served on the bench of our nation's highest judicial body for nearly 24 years. During this time, Justice Ginsburg has written several notable opinions but is perhaps better known for her, occasionally, blistering dissents.

In recent years, Justice Ginsburg has become something of a pop culture icon, and today, in honor of her 84th birthday as well as National Women's History Month, we at the Harris County Law Library are celebrating. Many are familiar with the "Notorious RBG" meme that has taken over the Internet and the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, but lesser-known facts about the second woman to ever serve on the United States Supreme Court include her achievements as an athlete, opera emcee, collar collector, and as a namesake to a preying mantis. What's more, she is full of good advice for women, and, after many successful years in the law, has much wisdom to dispense. As a gifted writer (who credits her college professor Vladimir Nabokov with improving her skill) and a sharp, articulate thinker who has been called the Thurgood Marshall of gender equality law, Justice Ginsburg's words are worth heeding. Although she is serious on the bench (and perhaps less funny than her best buddy, Antonin Scalia, according to a tabulation of laughter notations in Supreme Court oral argument transcripts), she is clever and quick with a quip. Justice Ginsburg's brilliance, warmth, virtue, magnanimity, and good humor are qualities to admire. As they say, there is no Truth without Ruth. Happy birthday, RBG!

Spring Forward: The History Of Daylight Saving Time

Don't forget!  Daylight savings time begins this weekend at precisely 2:00 am on Sunday, March 12th. For a look at the historical origins of daylight savings time, which was established by the federal government in 1918, visit the links below:

Senate Sergeant at Arms Charles Higgins turns forward the Ohio Clock for the first Daylight Saving Time, while Senators William Calder (NY), William Saulsbury, Jr. (DE), and Joseph T. Robinson (AR) look on, 1918.
credit: Senate Historical Office

Establishing Daylight Saving Time

"Spring Forward, Fall Back -- It's Daylight Saving Time," In Custodia Legis, Law Librarians of Congress

Photo: Changing the Clock for the First Daylight Saving Time, U.S. Senate

Topics in Chronicling American -- Daylight Saving Time, Sample articles, Important Dates, Search Strategies

For access to House Bill 150, which proposes to end Daylight Saving Time in Texas, see the link below. Coverage of the proposed legislation and commentary about the history of Daylight Saving Time in Texas is also provided.  

Daylight Saving Time in Texas

Texas HB 150: Relating to daylight saving time (Filed 11/10/2014)

"Hate Daylight Saving Time? Thank Two Presidents from Texas," BirkaBlog, Texas Monthly Politics Blog, R.G. Ratcliffe

"Is Texas Going to Give Up Daylight Saving Time?," Wide Open Country, Elizabeth Abrahamsen

Video: Speaker Barnes Explains Daylight Savings Time for Texas, Texas Archive of the Moving Image

Women's History Month at the Harris County Law Library

In 1987, Congress passed a law designating March as Women’s History Month. In his proclamation, President Reagan called upon “all Americans to mark this month with appropriate observances to honor the achievements of American women.” This month, the Harris County Law Library celebrates the achievements of a pioneering Houston attorney, Camille Elizabeth Stanford Openshaw, who overcame bias in the male-dominated legal field of the early 20th century to obtain her law degree and make significant contributions in her legal career.

Camille E.S. Openshaw is the subject of both a physical exhibit and digital exhibit at the Harris County Law Library. In our digital exhibit, you can find Openshaw's yearbook photo from South Texas School of Law, where she was the second woman to graduate with a law degree, and her 1935 notoriety as she represented a member of the Bonnie & Clyde gang. As Openshaw persisted to pursue her legal career in a strongly biased era, she demonstrated a strong spirit worth celebrating. 

Today, women continue to make enormous strides in the law in both legal practice and academia. After 130 years, the prestigious Harvard Law Review elected for the first time a black woman, ImeIme Umana, as president , and Yale Law School just named a new dean, Heather Gerken, the first woman to ever hold the position. In a recent Bloomberg Law interview, Ms. Gerken comments on the personal significance of her position, pointing to her role as the mother of a 14-year old daughter while outlining her vision for the future of the institution she now helms. Continued inclusion and promotion of women in the legal profession and increasing overall diversity will remain perennially important topics as the significant contributions of women like Openshaw, Umana, and Gerken continue to receive deserved recognition. Here are a few sources to help you learn about the topic and keep tabs on new developments: