Honoring the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice

By: Ericka Christensen

Posted: 3/28/07

Sandra Day O'Connor was born March 26, 1930 and should be honored during Women's History Month. She was the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She currently serves as the Chancellor of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. As a result of her case-by-case approach to jurisprudence and her relatively moderate political views, she was the crucial swing vote of the Court for many of her final years on the bench, though she objected to that characterization because she felt it painted her as an unprincipled jurist. In 2001, Ladies' Home Journal ranked her as the second most powerful woman in America.

O'Connor attended Stanford University, where she received her B.A. in economics in 1950. She continued at the Stanford Law School for her LL.B, serving on the Stanford Law Review, and graduating toward the top of a class of 102, of which future Chief Justice William Rehnquist was valedictorian. O'Connor briefly dated Rehnquist during this time.

In 1952 she married John Jay O'Connor III, with whom she has three sons: Scott, Brian, and Jay.

In spite of her amazing accomplishments at law school, no law firm in California was willing to hire her as a lawyer, although one firm did offer her a position as a legal secretary. Instead she turned to public service, taking a position as Deputy County Attorney of San Mateo County, California from 1952-1953 and as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster Market Center, Frankfurt, Germany from 1954-1957. From 1958-1960, she practiced law in the Maryvale area of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and served as Assistant Attorney General of Arizona from 1965-1969.

In 1969 she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate and was subsequently re-elected as a Republican to two two-year terms. In 1973, she became the first woman to serve as a state senate majority leader in any state.

In 1975, she was elected judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court and served until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals by Democratic governor Bruce Babbitt. During her time in Arizona state government, she served in all three branches.

O'Connor was nominated to the Court by President Ronald Reagan and served for over twenty-four years. She was worried that she would not make it and that she would set women back. Her husband convinced her that if any woman could do it, she could. On July 1, 2005, she announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of her successor. Justice Samuel Alito, nominated to take her seat in October 2005, received confirmation on January 31, 2006. O'Connor is currently the only Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is also a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 1988. The same year she was getting treatment for her cancer she had her appendix removed. There were rumors she was going to retire from the court. Yet in 2005, the membership of the Supreme Court had remained static for eleven years, the second longest period without a change in the Court's composition in American history. Chief Justice William Rehnquist was widely expected to be the first justice to retire during President George W. Bush's term, due to his age and his battle with cancer. However, on July 1, 2005 it was O'Connor who announced her retirement. In her letter to President Bush she stated that her retirement from active service would take effect upon the confirmation of her successor.

On July 19, President Bush nominated D.C. Circuit Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. to succeed Justice O'Connor, answering months of speculation as to Bush Supreme Court candidates. O'Connor heard the news over the car radio on the way back from a fishing trip. She felt he was an excellent and highly qualified choice-he had argued numerous cases before the Court during her tenure-but was somewhat disappointed her replacement was not a woman.

On July 21, O'Connor spoke to a 9th U.S. Circuit conference and blamed the televising of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for escalated conflicts over judges. She expressed sadness over attacks on the independent judiciary, and praised President Reagan for opening doors for women.

O'Connor had expected to leave the high court before the start of the next term on October 3, 2005. However, on September 3, Rehnquist died (O'Connor spoke at his funeral). Two days later, President Bush withdrew Roberts as his nominee for O'Connor's seat and instead appointed him to fill the vacant office of Chief Justice. O'Connor agreed to stay on the court until her replacement was confirmed. On October 3, President Bush nominated White House Counsel Harriet Miers to replace O'Connor. On October 27, Miers asked President Bush to withdraw her nomination; Bush accepted her request later the same day. On October 31, President Bush nominated Third Circuit Judge Samuel Alito to replace O'Connor; Alito was confirmed and sworn in on January 31, 2006.

Accomplishments and highlights of Sandra Day O'Connors life

O'Connor is an avid golfer who scored a hole-in-one in 2000 at the Paradise Valley Country Club in Arizona.
? In 2002, O'Connor was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
? In 2004, she gave a reading during the state funeral of Ronald Reagan.
? On September 8, 2004, Redwood City, California dedicated the courtroom of the renovated historical courthouse (now a museum) to O'Connor.
? In 2005, she wrote a children's book titled Chico (ISBN 0-525-47452-8), which gives an autobiographical description of her childhood.
? For her commitment to the ideals of "Duty, Honor, Country," she was awarded the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy in 2005, becoming only the third woman to receive the award.
? On October 18, 2005, Justice O'Connor was appointed Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses.
? On April 5, 2006, Arizona State University's College of Law was renamed the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in her honor.
? On May 14, 2006, Justice O'Connor was the commencement speaker at William and Mary Law School, where she is also university chancellor.
? On May 22, 2006, Yale University granted Justice O'Connor an honorary doctoral degree at Yale's 305th commencement.
? On September 19, 2006, Justice O'Connor delivered the Dedication Address for the Elon University School of Law and accept an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Earlier that day, she delivered the Fall Convocation Address at Elon University, where she accepted a Doctor of Laws degree.
? Justice O'Connor is a member of the Iraq Study Group of the United States Institute of Peace.
? As of Spring 2006, Justice O'Connor teaches a two week course called "The Supreme Court" at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law every Spring semester.