Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the mid-1990s, said Friday that he mourned the death of the legal and civil rights icon, who died of pancreatic cancer at age 87.

In a statement, Weiser said: “Our nation mourns the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an iconic leader, jurist, and role model. Justice Ginsburg changed my life, teaching me about equal justice under the law and what outstanding legal work looks like — an important life-long lesson. For millions around the world, her memory will continue to be a blessing.

“Justice Ginsburg’s passing on the eve of the Jewish New Year adds further meaning to a time that calls out for healing and renewal. My heart aches for her family and the broader family of clerks and mentees who have lost a devoted teacher and inspiration. I will miss her deeply and will continue to work to meet her high expectations for justice and rigorous legal work.”

Weiser, a former dean of the University of Colorado Law School and official in the Obama administration’s Department of Justice, was elected in 2018. He clerked for Ginsburg and Justice Byron White in 1995 and 1996.