Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday night after a lengthy battle with cancer, the court announced in a statement.
She was 87.
Ginsburg was nominated to the Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, just the second woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court. The Brooklyn native was a leading advocate for both gender equality and civil rights throughout her decades of public service.
She was one of the four current liberal justices on the court. Her death will likely spark a political battle over her seat, one that will be heightened given that the election is less than two months away.