Brooklyn Bar Association hosts seminar on the life and legacy of the borough’s own supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

November 28, 2023 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Ruth Bader Ginsburg photographed at an event at the NYC Bar Association in February 2020.
Photo: Caroline Ourso/Brooklyn Eagle

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On Nov. 15, the Brooklyn Bar Association hosted a continuing legal education seminar, paying tribute to the remarkable life and enduring impact of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The event, titled “More Than Justice Notorious: The Remarkable Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” featured speaker Rudy Carmenaty, deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Social Service.

Justice Ginsburg, a native of Brooklyn, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. Her tenure on the court was marked by a steadfast commitment to gender equality and civil liberties.

Despite battling cancer in 2013 and 2014, Ginsburg chose not to retire under President Barack Obama’s administration. Her eventual passing in 2020 led to the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett by President Donald Trump, shifting the court’s balance significantly to the right.

The seminar delved into Ginsburg’s extensive legal career and cultural significance. Carmenaty structured the talk into four segments: RBG, the Woman; RBG, the Academician & Litigator; RBG, the Judge and Justice; and RBG, the Cultural Icon. This structure provided a comprehensive look at her multifaceted persona, from her early life in Brooklyn, attending James Madison High School, to her iconic status in American culture.

A focal point of the seminar was Ginsburg’s transformative work with the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU in the 1970s, where she won five of the six cases she argued before the Supreme Court. Cases like Frontiero v. Richardson, Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, and Struck v. Secretary of Defense were discussed, showcasing her strategic litigation that advanced women’s rights.

Rudy Carmenaty, the seminar’s speaker, brought a wealth of experience to the discussion. As deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Social Service, and previously as a bureau chief in the Office of the Nassau County Attorney, Carmenaty has a deep understanding of legal services and social welfare policies.

His achievements include developing Nassau County’s Language Access Plan and coordinating its implementation.

Carmenaty, a Columbia Law School graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa at Rutgers, is known for his commitment to legal education and public service. He has a distinguished record of lecturing on legal and historical topics at various institutions and associations, and his insights at the seminar provided attendees with a deeper understanding of Ginsburg’s legal strategies and her broader impact on American law and society.

The Brooklyn Bar Association’s seminar on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy served not only as an educational event for legal professionals but also as a homage to a trailblazing jurist who left an indelible mark on the legal community.