Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Refers To Her Clerks' Babies As Her 'Grandclerks'

She really treats her clerks like they're members of her own family.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

During our time with Justice Ginsburg, we saw firsthand how devoted the justice has remained, even after decades on the bench, to the consideration of every case. The justice works deep into the night, often longer hours than most law clerks (or even those clerks when they were in law school), to give careful review to the towers of briefs filed in the cases before the court. She continues to put care into every word of her opinions and dissents. And, on a personal note, the justice applies that same care and thoughtfulness in her personal life. She remains deeply invested in her clerks’ lives, making a point to celebrate their birthdays in chambers, and following their careers and families long after they’ve left 1 First St. Most clerks with families have proudly displayed on their mantels the notes the justice sends whenever a new “grandclerk” is born (along with a prized “RBG Grandclerk” baby T-shirt). And all of us treasure our “Team RBG” coffee mug, a recent gift from the justice to her clerks past and present.

Arun Subramanian, a partner at Susman Godfrey, and Mark Musico, an associate at Susman Godfrey, in an op-ed reflecting on the experience of clerking for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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