Date of Project

4-8-2026

Document Type

Honors Thesis

School Name

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

History

Major Advisor

Dr. Laura Ping

Second Advisor

Dr. David Scott

Abstract

Pauli Murray and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were extremely influential attorneys due to their groundbreaking legal work on sexual discrimination. Murray’s legal work heavily influenced and inspired Ginsburg and this work explored that connection between them. This research asked the question, ““How did case law evolve from 1964-1982 in the United States of America and how did Pauli Murray influence and inspire Ruth Bader Ginsburg?” This thesis examined how Murray influenced Ginsburg and her legal work in the United States from 1966 until 1979. It looked at how case law and precedent changed and evolved mainly focusing on the influence these two people had on that evolution. As seen through cases such as Reed v Reed and Duren v Missouri it is clear that attorneys inspired each other as Ruth Bader Ginsburg was inspired by Pauli Murray’s work on White v Crook because in Reed v Reed and Duren v Missouri, she built upon Murray’s argument and used parts of it.

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