I recently had the distinct honor of meeting Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when I was sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court on June 11, 2018. Although her stature was slight and her voice hushed, her presence was mighty. Justice Ginsburg’s ability to carry the room while addressing my fellow New England Law graduates was truly astonishing. On that momentous day, Justice Ginsburg spoke of her admiration for Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood—the first woman admitted to the United States Supreme Court.

Justice Ginsburg’s decision to educate us about Belva Lockwood was fitting inasmuch as New England Law (formerly Portia Law School) was the first all women’s law school in the United States, established in 1908. Although I received my undergraduate degree in history and consider myself a history buff, I had never heard of Belva Ann Lockwood. Justice Ginsburg’s speech was the motivation for writing this article in honor of Women’s History Month to celebrate the significant contributions she and Justice Ginsburg have made to the legal profession for women and minorities.