Unable to become a lawyer straight out of university, despite being recommended for a job with a Supreme Court justice in the 60s by one of her professors at Harvard – a recommendation that was swiftly rejected on the basis that the judge wasn’t ready to hire a woman - she was able to embark on a career in academia at Rutgers University. Here, she began teaching a course on sex discrimination.

At the time women couldn’t even get a credit card without their husband’s signature (until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act Of 1974).

This theme of workplace discrimination was something she worried about personally too.

When she joined the university, she found out that she was being paid less than her male colleagues purely because she had a husband with a well-paid job.

She then began campaigning with the other female staff for equal pay while at the same time hiding her second pregnancy for fear of losing her position (having been demoted during her first pregnancy with a different employer).

In the early 70s, she took her interest a step further and started volunteering at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project.

This initiative focused on landmark cases around gender discrimination - including discrimination against men and their rights as fathers to highlight gender inequality. She won five of the six cases that she took to the Supreme Court.

But before her big debut in the Supreme court, she cut her teeth on a tax case: Moritz vs. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which is explored in depth in the new film.

During this 1972 case, Ruth argued against a specific tax code which denied unmarried Mr Moritz the right to deduct expenses for the care of his ailing mother.

Her main argument was built on the notion that the law discriminated based on his gender and was therefore unconstitutional.

In proving that both men and women could be caregivers and winning a tax refund for her client, the case built the foundation for her career as she continues to this day to fight for equality.

5 reasons why Ruth Bader Ginsburg should definitely be on your radar