BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - At 86 years of age, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the oldest member of the current U.S. Supreme Court.
However, questions about her health persist in the wake of the news last Friday that she was recently treated for a "localized malignant tumor" on her pancreas. Justice Ginsburg recovered enough to make two appearances in Western New York on Monday: First at the University at Buffalo, then at Kleinhans Music Hall.
READ MORE: Justice Ginsburg excited crowd at the University at Buffalo
We asked multiple students who were in attendance for her speech at UB when is the appropriate time for her to step down. All were unanimous in their thoughts.
"She's always been a fighter," Sarah Grimaldi, a UB Law student, said. "That, I feel like, is apparent from her presentation. If you know anything about her history, she went to both her classes and husband's classes during law school when he was dealing with cancer...She's always been very motivated and the person who can push through and succeed. She's showed the world that. She'll know when it's time and she'll make that decision in time."
Abisha Vijayashanthar, a fellow law student, said that she hopes Ginsburg stays on the court "forever, hopefully".
"I think hopefully she can make it through as long as she can," Vijayashanthar said. "She knows our nation needs her. But she's human."
If Ginsburg retired before the 2020 election, it would give President Donald Trump the ability to nominate his third justice on the Supreme Court. He previously nominated Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both of whom were confirmed by the senate. Because the senate is controlled by republicans, it is very likely that a nomination by the president would be pushed through, even during an election year.
"I don't think that sort of thing is at the top of her mind, particularly," law student Charles Terranova said. "I think she, like all judges and justices, try to stay removed from politics. I think she is going to continue working until she thinks she can't do her job anymore. Personally, I hope she stays on as long as she can."
Terranova said her legacy will be how she shaped equal rights under the 14th amendment and the 5th amendment.
Justice Ginsburg did not discuss her future on the Supreme Court while in Western New York. She previously told CNN in 2018 that she hopes to stay on until she is at least 90 years old.
Ginsburg is the fourth-oldest justice in the court's history.
