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NEWS DECEMBER 28, 2020 ¦ 15

Rutgers University Names Newark Dorm
for Ruth Bader Ginsburg

By Karen Sloan

Rutgers University will rename a residence hall
in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who started her legal ca-
reer as a professor at its Newark law school.
The Rutgers Board of Governors announced Dec.
17 that its recently remodeled 17-story dorm build-
ing at 15 Washington St. is being renamed Ruth
Bader Ginsburg Hall. The 91-year-old neoclassical
building used to house Rutgers Law School but is
now home to 300 graduate and undergraduate stu-
dents, 100 of whom are law students.
“When I think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I hope fu-
ture generations will understand her perseverance, The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
her clear-eyed pursuit of justice and equity, and her Ginsburg. Credit: Diego Radzinschi/ALM

care for those people who are often seen as voiceless her. The state’s Senate Higher Education Commit-
or without history,” said Rutgers President Jonathan tee advanced a resolution to that effect in October.
Holloway in an announcement of the renaming. Ginsburg’s daughter Jane, who teaches law at Co-
“These are the principles that lumbia, said the dedication of the
Ginsburg stood for. I think they building to her mother was fitting.
are the principles that Rutgers “Rutgers was one of the very
stands for, and I’d love for future few U.S. law schools willing in
generations to understand how the 1960s to hire women, or mi-
they are connected in that way.” New Jersey lawmakers had norities,” said Jane Ginsburg. “It
pushed Rutgers to dedicate is particularly appropriate that the
Ginsburg began teaching at university that gave mother her
Rutgers’ law school in 1963 after a building to the late

famously being rejected for law Supreme Court justice, who start in law teaching would com-
firm jobs because she was a wom- taught at its law school memorate that association in such
an, even though she graduated
at the top of her class at Colum- from 1963 to 1972. a tangible way.”
The rechristened Ruth Bader
bia Law School. She taught at the Ginsburg Hall was built in 1929
Newark campus until 1972, when to house the headquarters of the
she accepted a faculty position at American Insurance Co. and was
Columbia, where she became the eventually donated to the univer-
first woman with tenure. She spent 27 years on the sity. The law school was located there until 2000,
Supreme Court and died on Sept. 18. While at Rut- when it relocated to a new campus. Law students
gers, Ginsburg became a pioneer in using the law to regularly complained about the state of the build-
fight gender discrimination. ing before the move and frequently got stuck in its
New Jersey lawmakers had pushed for Rutgers to unreliable elevators. It remained empty for 15 years
honor Ginsburg’s legacy by dedicating a building to
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