'A fight that isn’t over:' Local expert weighs in on Ginsburg's legacy, first woman to lie in state at U.S. Capitol

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be the first woman and Jewish person to ever lie in state at the U.S. Capitol.

On Friday, September 25, her casket will be brought to the Capitol Rotunda.

It’s an honor once local expert said marks her legacy.

"It really seems kind of shocking that there hasn’t been a woman lying in state," Marquette Association Professor of Political Science Paul Nolette said. "It really indicates how relatively recent it is that women have gotten more political power and legal power in the United States."

Ginsburg passed away on September 18 due to complications of pancreatic cancer. She served on the Supreme Court for more than 27 years and was a pioneer for women’s rights.

Ginsburg is the first woman to receive the honor of lying in state. It’s when a member of government dies and their casket is brought to the Capitol.

Prior to Ginsburg, only 34 others have been given the honor, all of which were men.

"It shows you that history is not that long ago," Nolette said. "This is something that is still an ongoing fight, again one that Ruth Bader Ginsburg certainly let and it’s one that isn’t over."

A private interment will be held next week at Arlington National Cemetery.