A book written about the first two women in United States history named to the Supreme Court was the subject of a brown bag lunch today at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board offices in Oakland. The “Sisters in Law Booktalk” event was organized and hosted by Judge Therese Da Silva of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, applicant lawyer Maria Grasso of Boxer & Gerson, and defense attorney Stephanie Ross from Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Some 20 women gathered to listen to excerpts and discuss the meaning, importance, and legal and political backdrop that was chronicled in Linda Hirshman’s 2015 book, Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World. O’Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and Ginsburg by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Two other female justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, have followed since that time.
The noon gathering was highlighted by a birthday cake in honor of Ginsburg, who turned 86 today.
“Judge Da Silva guided the group through a few questions to focus the discussion, so between that and her reading various excerpts, everyone got a deeper sense of the book and just how momentous these two Supreme Court appointments were in American history,” said Sager. “We had a wonderful time, and hope to have periodic gatherings to discuss other books of interest to the legal profession in the future. Next up is a fall gathering to discuss Justice Sotomayor’s My Beloved World. Meanwhile, Happy Birthday Justice Ginsburg!”
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