Ruth Bader Ginsburg arguing before the Supreme Court in Frontiero v. Richardson
Ruth Bader Ginsburg arguing in front of the Supreme Court, Frontiero v. Richardson, 1973
Background
Facts of the case
Sharron Frontiero, a lieutenant in the United States Air Force, sought a dependent’s allowance for her husband. Federal law provided that the wives of members of the military automatically became dependents; husbands of female members of the military, however, were not accepted as dependents unless they were dependent on their wives for over one-half of their support. Frontiero’s request for dependent status for her husband was turned down.
Sex, like race, is a visible, immutable characteristic. Sex, like race, has been made the basis for unjustified, or at least unproved, assumptions concerning an individual’s potential to perform or to contribute to society…
Questions
How were women treated differently than men in the Air Force?
How would you describe Ginsburg’s presentation to the Supreme Court?
What is an amicus brief?