When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court? Justice Ginsburg answers that question

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  • GWEN IFILL:

    Finally tonight, our NewsHour Shares of the day, something that caught our eye that might be of interest to you too.

    Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke at Georgetown University here in Washington yesterday about what's it's like to be one of only a handful of women to have ever served on the Supreme Court. Along the way, she also provided rare candid insight into the career challenges she overcame to get to the pinnacle of her profession.

    Here is some of what she had to say.

  • JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG, U.S. Supreme Court:

    In the ancient days, when I was going to college, the law wasn't a welcoming profession for women.

    In those days, in the Southern District, most judges wouldn't hire women. In the U.S. attorney's office, women were strictly forbidden in the Criminal Division. There was one woman in the Civil Division.

    And the excuse for not hiring women in the Criminal Division was they have to deal with all these tough types, and women aren't up to that. And I was amazed. I said, have you seen the lawyers at legal aid who are representing these tough types? They're all women.

    People ask me sometimes, when — when do you think it will it be enough? When will there be enough women on the court? And my answer is when there are nine.

    If I had any talent in the world, any talent that God could give me, I would be a great diva.

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