As a new judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the early 1980s, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recalled asking a question during oral arguments early in her tenure. The lawyer replied, "Well, Judge Wald," confusing her with the only other woman on the court at the time, now-retired Judge Patricia Wald.
"The idea of two was too much to contemplate," Ginsburg said, earning laughs as she told the story during a panel discussion June 18 on women and the District of Columbia's federal courts. She added she was also referred to as "Justice O'Connor" after joining the Supreme Court in 1993, mixing her up with now-retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
