"All I Ask of Our Brethren Is That They Take Their Feet Off Our Necks"

"When she was 60 she considered applying to law school but was told that no law school would admit a woman. Soon after, she visited Washington and was taken to see the empty chambers of the Supreme Court, in the basement of the Senate. In those days, anyone could visit the rooms if the court was not in session. Someone invited her to sit in the chief justice's chair. Taking a seat, she found herself saying, 'Who knows but this chair may one day be occupied by a woman.' She described the moment in a letter to a friend. 'The brethren laughed heartily,' she noted, 'nevertheless it may be a true prophecy.'"

Louise W. Knight at CNN compares Ruth Bader Ginsberg to Sarah Grimké.