CLEVELAND — Madelyn Grant is a criminal defense attorney.

Her days in the courtroom and her Cleveland office are often long and are rarely easy, but she said the challenges she faces are nothing compared to the ones faced by her inspiration, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


What You Need To Know

  • A recently opened exhibition at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland is giving a look inside the life and legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  • Ginsburg, who spent nearly 30 years on the Supreme Court, has inspired many people to walk in her footsteps as a lawyer, judge and advocate for women and equality
  • The exhibition is based on the New York Times best-selling book by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik that helped thrust RBG into the pop-culture spotlight

“She was told no and she was rejected so many times. To know that she started out (in) law school as one of nine women in a class of 500 people. I mean, that's amazing to me to think about . . .” Grant said.

Grant, like many people, was heartbroken when Ginsburg passed away in 2020.

“One of the first things I thought . . .  I was so nervous . . . How will we ever explain who she was and the work that she did to the next generation? If they don't know about her, how will they understand that their ability to do so many things rests on her shoulders?” Grant said. 

She’s relieved to know that Ginsburg, who was the second female and the first Jewish female justice of the Supreme Court, is the subject of a first-of-its-kind exhibition titled The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

“Welcome to the Notorious RBG . . . this is our really incredible welcome sign," said Dahlia Fisher of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. 

The exhibition is currently at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

“It is amazing for me to see that this exhibition exists because I'm one of those people I’ve been what you probably call a super fan of RBG my entire life,” Grant said.

The exhibition is based on the New York Times best-selling book by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik that helped thrust RBG into the pop-culture spotlight.

Fisher, who is director of external relations for the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, said the exhibit brings to light Ginsberg’s barrier-breaking law career, her personal life, and her involvement in the women’s rights movement. All of which was nothing short of notorious. 

“She changed and influenced the way we operate our country, the way people interact, our civil rights or human rights or women's rights,” Fisher said. 

Fisher said the Maltz Museum is the third place to house the exhibit and she looks forward to seeing the impact it has here in Northeast Ohio. 

“Anywhere this exhibition travels it has influence and inspiration on how we as individuals can do our part to change the world and nothing should limit us,” Fisher said. 

For more information on how you can tour the Notorious RBG exhibition in-person at the Maltz museum or virtually, click here to visit the Maltz Museum website