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All the Good Vibes You'll Have at the Amazing New Ruth Bader Ginsburg Exhibit

The internet got its first legal superhero in 2013 when a law student started a Tumblr devoted to feisty Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Tumblr “Notorious R.B.G.” became an instant hit, inspiring an SNL character, a book and now a Skirball Cultural Center exhibit that opens Friday and runs through March 10, 2019. We got a sneak peek and can confirm that a visit is the life-affirming afternoon you need, with high points ranging from historic jurisprudence to epic accessorizing.

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ruth bader ginsburg exhibit stereotypes
Dana Dickey

You'll Rethink History

The Skirball Center’s exhibit jumps right into Ginsburg’s accomplishments, which are especially impressive since she is one of the few women to have graduated from an Ivy League law school in a time when most females didn’t work outside the home. Hip-hop lyrics penned by Notorious B.I.G. are graffitied throughout the exhibit—because he’s the rapper whose name and outsized rep inspired her nickname “Notorious RBG.”

ruth bader ginsburg jabots
Dana Dickey

You’ll Try On Outfits

There’s a rack of child- and adult-sized black judicial robes as well as RBG’s signature jabots (her distinctive tie-on collars). Remember: Dress for the job you want.

ruth bader ginsburg courtroom sketch
Courtesy Skirball Center

The show includes around a dozen deep dives into Ginsburg’s rulings and explains that her feminist philosophy is predicated on equality for women and men. As a lawyer, she took onseveral male clients who were being unfairly treated, such as Stephen Wiesenfeld, a widower and father who was denied Social Security survivor’s benefits due to his gender.

ruth bader ginsburg workout
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

You'll Be Inspired To Work Out

The octogenarian judge works out for an hour twice a week, and her full-body regimen includes traditional pushups, medicine-ball pushups (srsly, RBG?!?), weights, resistance training and stretching. (You’ll walk away wondering if you could toss off even 20 regular pushups like Ginsburg.)

ruth bader ginsburg marty
Photo courtesy Skirball Center

You'll Get Choked Up

Sorry, A Star Is Born—the tearjerker of the year is the love story of Ruth and Marty. Martin Ginsburg is the guy who married RBG in 1954. Funny, handsome and a super-successful tax attorney, he was his wife’s biggest fan, as well as the household chef. We dare you not to tear up as you read the heartfelt letter he wrote to her before he passed away in 2010.

ruth bader ginsburg gifts
Dana Dickey

You Won’t Go Home Empty-handed

The exhibit also has great shopping. You can browse books for all ages, mugs and even breath-freshening mints. However, you don’t have to buy anything to take home a souvenir: Just stop at the selfie station (with props!) and enjoy your own image equality.

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dana dickey

Senior Editor

  • Writes about fashion, wellness, relationships and travel
  • Oversees all LA/California content and is the go-to source for where to eat, stay and unwind on the west coast
  • Studied journalism at the University of Florida