Jane Sherron De Hart never set out to write a book about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; it just happened that way. De Hart, a professor of women’s history at UCSB, initially set out merely to get her hands on Ginsburg’s notes when, in the 1970s, Ginsburg was spearheading a legal initiative to expand legal rights for women. One step begot another, and soon De Hart found herself meeting with the Supreme Court Justice with some regularity.
De Hart’s product, Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life, was released just two weeks ago in the tumultuous and toxic aftermath of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings. De Hart’s timing could not have been more fortuitous; public fascination with Ginsburg is at an all-time high with a documentary film on the outspoken justice having performed dramatically beyond all expectations this summer.
Independent reporter Nick Welsh met with De Hart to discuss her new book. The following is an edited version of their conversation.