Honoring RBG’s Gender Fight
Since her passing, the entire nation is reflecting on the work of the former Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Justice is infamous for persevering in the face of opposition, as she constantly fought gender discrimination not only in the court, but throughout her own personal and professional life.
“I thought that I was alone, I thought that I was crazy, but here’s this justice — a Supreme Court Justice — who fought her whole life for better equality, specifically for women. It’s been very inspiring for many generations of women,” Lia Fierro said, a business litigation attorney in Hudson Valley, New York.
For years, Fierro has been inspired by civil engagement actively participating in the New York City Liberties Union, the Empire State Pride Agenda, and similar organizations.
“I went to college in 2004 and started to get a sense, my own sense of justice — what is right and what is wrong,” Fierro said. At the time, there was heated tension and strong discord about civil rights issues in the U.S.
Fierro said she was witnessing injustice and discrimination happen at all levels, and action needed to be taken. “I knew that there were major crises going on in our country and there were major injustices happening at government hands. And that’s unconstitutional and not right.” This ultimately motivated Fierro to pursue law school to dedicate her career towards achieving justice.
While studying constitutional law, a required course during the first year of law school, Fierro found a connection to Justice Ginsburg’s work. Fierro said Ginsburg’s voice spoke the loudest to her. “It was because she so clearly addressed the legal issues that were in front of her. And from my perspective, it helped me take these bigger concepts of injustice, and narrow them right down and streamline them, to get them to make sense in the bigger picture.” It was brilliant and inspiring to Fierro.
Being moved by Justice Ginsburg, Fierro sought to get involved outside of just her academic studies. During her time at law school, Fierro ran and was elected co-president of her school’s Women’s Law Association.
Following law school, Fierro began her career as a young, female attorney. “When I came out of law school, I thought for the most part that women and men were equal in their profession. When I started practicing, I started experiencing episodes of bias.” This came from the court system, adversaries, clients and employers.
However, Fierro found solidarity in the Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties (WBAOSC). “Having the Women’s Bar Association there to bounce those things off of has been invaluable,” Fierro said.
For many new lawyers, having the support of experienced attorneys can be instrumental in navigating the complexities of the profession, including how to handle the gender bias that is still exists today.
“There’s still in some courthouses and systems an ‘all boys club’ that you have to navigate and deal with. I’ve certainly been in situations that I’ve felt that very keenly,” Christina Randazzo said, an attorney practicing matrimonial and family law in Hudson Valley, New York.
Randazzo is also the current mentorship coordinator for the WBAOSC and former president-elect. She organizes gatherings for new members to hear advice from more experienced attorneys, as well as led a past discussion commemorating and reflecting on the late Justice Ginsburg’s impact on these women’s lives.
“We talk about [gender bias] a lot in mentorship, in terms with how you deal with judges, other attorneys and how you navigate the court system as a woman,” Randazzo said. “I know from conversations, that we still feel it and there are differences that still exist. We certainly have a lot more judges that are women and attorneys practicing that are women, but it’s still easy to feel dismissed.”
Despite Justice Ginsburg’s work, gender discrimination is still prevalent in the judicial system and law professions. The women’s bar association is a community of female attorneys that addresses these issues, and offers advice and mentorship to new lawyers.
“There’s still so many women thriving and doing such incredible work in this profession. But that’s the difference, that you know you’re not alone. You can call someone at the end of the day and laugh about what happened that day,” Randazzo said.
Inspired by the members of the WBAOSC, Randazzo started her own matrimonial and family law firm. “It was the other members of the Women’s Bar Association who had come before me and done the same thing. They were the catalyst for helping me know I can do that.”
Justice Ginsburg broke down walls for these attorneys and although her passing, she remains an iconic figure for generations of women. For young students like Erin Connolly ’21, the Justice continues to be an inspiration. Connolly said, “I have found Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg to be a role model through her courageous and intelligent spirit that has paved the way for women like me, who have plans of attending law school and want to follow in her footsteps of fighting for equality and justice.”
