My Own Words

This compendium of Ginsburg's lectures and addresses, compiled with her official biographers Mary Harnett and Wendy W. Williams, perfectly complements the work of others on the topic of the justice's life and writing. The book consists of five illustrative parts: "Early Years and Lighter Side," "Tributes to Waypavers and Pathmarkers," "On Gender Equality: Women and the Law," "A Judge Becomes a Justice," and "The Justice on Judging and Justice." These representative pieces cogently excerpt Justice Ginsburg's writings from a high school newspaper editorial to famous Supreme Court dissents. Along the way, Ginsburg pays homage to struggles of Jewish and female attorneys and jurists. Not surprisingly, she serves as an exemplar, and her work toward gender equality is well represented in this superb book. "Workways of the Supreme Court," her remarks on the inner workings of Supreme Court practice and procedure, should be required reading for first year law students and for the rest of us as well.