TAMPA, Fla. — Tributes are coming in from across the nation, honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
As so many mourn the loss, ABC Action News has a rare look back at the beginning of the trailblazer's time on the high court.
ABC Action News political analyst, Dr. Susan MacManus, witnessed Justice Ginsburg's first day on the bench.
Dr. MacManus describes it as an incredible moment she will never forget.
"Even then, you knew this was going to be a monumental individual on the court and she surely turned out that way," recalls Dr. MacManus.
Dr. MacManus was with a group of students watching the U.S. Supreme Court in session from the gallery.
She says many of her students on that trip to Washington went on to attend law school, inspired by Justice Ginsburg's support for women's rights.
Justice Ginsburg was a passionate fighter for social justice and women's equality.
She gained pop culture stardom in recent years, garnering fans far outside the political world.
Dr. MacManus believes a lasting lesson came from the unlikely bond between Justice Ginsburg and her ideological opposite, the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
The pair shared a love for opera.
"I think that speaks well of where a lot of people wish our politics were today," said Dr. MacManus. "People can disagree but there can be things that bind people more than just politics."
