Sandra Day O’Connor’s Legacy

SOURCE: Supreme Court

The nation lost an important and influential figure on December 1, 2023: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Serving on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1981 to 2006, Justice O’Connor was the first woman to serve in the nation’s highest Court. As a moderate conservative justice, Justice O’Connor often served as the deciding vote in numerous consequential Supreme Court decisions and was known for her meticulously researched opinions. 

As the first female justice on the Supreme Court, O’Connor broke ground for women in the legal field. O’Connor served in a variety of public service roles throughout her life. After graduating from Stanford University, O’Connor attended Stanford Law School and graduated near the top of her class. She then worked as the assistant attorney general for Arizona while playing an active role in Republican politics. In 1969, the Arizona governor appointed her to a Senate vacancy; O’Connor served two terms in the state Senate and eventually became the Senate majority leader, the first woman to do that in any state. As a legislator, O’Connor worked towards changing multiple state laws that discriminated against women, including sponsoring legislation that granted women equal responsibility in managing jointly held property. 

A few years later, she was appointed to a superior court in 1974 and elevated to the state court of appeals three years later. In 1981, President Reagan nominated her for associate justice on the Supreme Court. Upon receiving unanimous approval from the Senate, O’Connor began her term. Known for her pragmatic approach, O’Connor helped to keep the Court aligned with public opinion, especially on controversial issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and the separation of church and state. During her nearly 25 years on the Court, Justice O’Connor authored 676 opinions, 301 of which were the Opinion of the Court. She helped preserve the separation of church and state, safeguard Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches, and enforce due process guarantees for criminal defendants. 

After she retired from the Court in 2006, O’Connor remained civically active. Among many other roles, she was a board member of the American Bar Association’s Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative, served as the Chancellor of the College of William and Mary, and founded iCivics, a web-based education project for middle school and high school students. President Obama honored Justice O’Connor’s accomplishments with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Justice O’Connor’s commitments to politics, the Constitution, and civic engagement have paved the way for many women in public service. Her academic and professional excellence, willingness to compromise as a legislator, pragmatic approach as a Supreme Court Justice, and continued engagement with the public after her retirement are aspects of her legacy that will live on for those who look to her as an inspiration.

To read more: “Sandra Day O’Connor: First Woman on the Supreme Court”