On the recordMarch 28, 2022
This bill, by creating statues in the Capitol, honors former Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two women who made groundbreaking contributions to American history and jurisprudence. The United States Capitol is a global symbol of democracy. This iconic building, where we debate and craft law, is also a museum of American art and history, with a rich collection of portraits, paintings, and statues. Among the hundreds of sculptures, just 14 honor women leaders. By adding statues of these two pioneering Supreme Court Justices, we will honor their legacy and inspire all who pass through these Halls. In 1869, Arabella Mansfield became the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States when she was admitted to the Iowa bar. Ten years later, Belva Lockwood became the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. One hundred years would pass before Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Born in the early 1930s, Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg both achieved extraordinary academic success. One of only five women in her class at Stanford Law, O'Connor served on the Board of Editors of the Stanford Law Review and graduated near the top of her class. Ginsburg first attended Harvard Law School, one of nine women in her class.…
