THE South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA) on Sunday said that it joins the nation in mourning the loss of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg passed away Friday evening after a long battle with cancer.  SABA extended its deepest condolences to Justice Ginsburg’s family and friends.  

“Justice Ginsburg was a historic trailblazer, fighting for equality and justice, until her dying day,” said SABA President Rippi Gill.  “While we deeply mourn Justice Ginsburg’s passing, we also celebrate her life and indomitable impact on our society. She paved the way for so many of us. She was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and became the outspoken voice for so many without one, always demanding unequivocal equal protection under the law in every respect. It is with heavy hearts that we now say goodbye to a titan, but we will carry Justice Ginsburg’s legacy with us and never stop fighting for what is right.”

“Justice Ginsburg led an exemplary legal career. Among her prodigious accomplishments before her tenure on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg is most known for being instrumental in launching the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. She was appointed a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980.  President [Bill] Clinton thereafter nominated her as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and she took her seat in 1993. In doing so, Justice Ginsburg became the second woman to serve on the highest court in the land. Regardless of personal political leanings, Justice Ginsburg commanded the respect of every member of the legal profession. Surprising everyone, and perhaps no one more than the Justice herself, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became a beloved cultural and feminist icon, known as “The Notorious RBG,” in the last decades of her life,” said SABA in a statement.

“Today, we mourn. Tomorrow, we will continue the fight. In the words of Justice Ginsburg,  “[i]f you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community, something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is – living not for oneself, but for one’s community.”  We will not let you down, Your Honor. Rest in Power.”