- Sandra Day O’Connor
Critical Essay by
Dr. Norma Bouchard
Executive Vice President, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Chapman University
View Bio
Sandra Day O'Connor was the nation’s trailblazer of the Supreme Court as the first woman to ever serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
O’Connor was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas, to Harry Alfred Day and Ada Mae Wilkey. She passed away on December 1, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. O'Connor's journey from a rural upbringing to the highest court in the United States is a testament to her tenacity and intelligence.
Raised on the Lazy B Ranch near Duncan, Arizona, O'Connor's childhood was marked by self-reliance. The ranch, which lacked running water and electricity in its early years, was a rugged environment. O'Connor rode horses but also mended fences and tended to cattle, acquiring skills that made her deeply appreciative of the values of hard work and resilience.
A gifted student, she attended the Radford School for Girls in El Paso and graduated from Austin High School at the age of 16. She was accepted into Stanford University, where she excelled. She completed a bachelor's degree in economics in 1950 and a law degree in 1952, finishing third in her class of 102 students. Notably, she served as a board editor for the Stanford Law Review, an honor that highlighted her legal acumen.
Despite her impressive credentials, O'Connor faced significant gender discrimination when she sought employment as a lawyer. She applied to numerous law firms in San Francisco and Los Angeles but was offered only secretarial positions. Determined to practice law, she accepted a role as a deputy county attorney in San Mateo, California. It was during this period that she married John O'Connor, a fellow Stanford Law graduate who was a year behind her in school.
The couple moved to Germany, where John served as an attorney in the U.S. Army, and Sandra worked as a civilian attorney for the Army from 1954 to 1957. This international experience broadened her legal perspective and reinforced her commitment to public service.
Upon returning to the United States, the O'Connors settled in Maricopa County, Arizona. Sandra focused on raising their three sons—Scott (born 1958), Brian (born 1960), and Jay (born 1962)—before resuming her professional career. In 1965, she returned to full-time work as an assistant attorney general of Arizona.
O'Connor's political career began in 1969 when Governor Jack Williams appointed her to fill a vacant state senate seat. She won election to the position in 1970 and was reelected in 1972, becoming the first woman to serve as the Republican majority leader of any state senate in 1972. Her legislative work was characterized by a pragmatic approach and a focus on issues such as judicial reform, public health, and education.
In 1974, O'Connor transitioned from the legislature to the judiciary, serving as a judge in the Maricopa County Superior Court. She held this position until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. Her tenure on the appellate court further demonstrated her keen legal mind and her ability to navigate complex legal issues.
In July 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated O'Connor to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Potter Stewart. The Senate confirmed her unanimously, making her the first female justice in the Court's 191-year history. Her confirmation was a milestone for gender equality in the United States.
O'Connor's tenure on the Supreme Court, which lasted until 2006, was marked by her meticulous case-by-case analysis. Often, she often acted as a swing vote in closely divided cases. Her decisions in election law and abortion rights were particularly influential. In cases like Shaw v. Reno (1993) and Bush v. Vera (1996), she emphasized equal protection claims and racial neutrality in district boundaries. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), she helped reaffirm Roe v. Wade while introducing the "undue burden" standard for abortion restrictions.
One of her most notable cases was Bush v. Gore (2000), in which her vote effectively decided the outcome of the presidential election. This decision, which halted the Florida recount and awarded the presidency to George W. Bush, remains one of the most controversial in Supreme Court history.
O'Connor's decisions often reflected a balanced and moderate approach. She was instrumental in shaping the Court's stance on issues such as affirmative action, religious freedom, and states' rights. Her ability to bridge ideological divides earned her respect from both liberal and conservative justices.
O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court in 2006 and was succeeded by Justice Samuel Alito. In retirement, she remained active in advocating for judicial reform and civic education. She launched the iCivics initiative to promote interactive civics lessons, addressing the lack of civic knowledge among young Americans. By 2015, iCivics had become a significant educational resource, with its games played millions of times and thousands of teachers using its materials.
In recognition of her lifetime accomplishments, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. O'Connor also served as the Chancellor of the College of William & Mary, a role she held until 2012.
O'Connor authored several books, including her memoir "Lazy B," which detailed her upbringing on the family ranch, and "Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court," which offered insights into the Court's evolution. She also wrote children's books inspired by her childhood experiences.
A member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, O'Connor's contributions to law and education were widely recognized. In 2018, she announced her diagnosis with early-stage dementia and withdrew from public life.
Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy is multifaceted, encompassing groundbreaking achievements and some controversial decisions. Widely celebrated as a pioneer for women in the legal profession and a defender of judicial independence, she is also critiqued for her positions on civil liberties and pivotal cases like Bush v. Gore. Nonetheless, her contributions to American jurisprudence and civic education have left a lasting impact on the nation's legal landscape.
O'Connor's life story—from a ranch in Arizona to the highest court in the land—serves as an enduring inspiration. Her career broke barriers and set new standards for women in the legal profession, and her influence continues to resonate in contemporary discussions about the judiciary and its role in American society.
