Four
As of August 7, 2010, there have only been four female Supreme Court justices:
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Unfortunately, as of 2010, there have been no female African-American Supreme Court Justices.
Until fairly recently, the Supreme Court consisted primarily of white men. Two African-American men have served on the Court:
We have also had three female Justices on the Court:
Sonia Sotomayor is Latina.
Five women have been nominated to the US Supreme Court; one name was withdrawn, three were appointed, and one is currently participating in the appointment process (June 2010).
Zero. The first woman on the US Supreme Court was Sandra Day O'Conner who joined the court in 1981.
Rutherford B. Hayes signed such a bill in March of 1879. The bill was called "An Act to Relieve Certain Legal Disabilities of Women," thus enabling women to practice in the federal court system. It was passed after the Supreme Court decided in 1876 to bar women from arguing cases before them.Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood became the first woman admitted to the US Supreme Court bar later that year.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan are current Supreme Court justices. They are women. Sandra Day O'Connor is a former Supreme Court justice. She is also a woman. There are no constitutional qualifications for Supreme Court Justices. No age requirement, education requirement, or even a citizenship requirement. Never mind a protected class.
Roe v. Wade
1974 the Supreme Court determined in Corning Glass Works v. Brennan that women could not be paid less simply because they would work at a lower pay rate than men. At the same time the Supreme Court confirmed the constitutionality of the Equal Pay Act
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first women on the United States Supreme Court.