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Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Today is a sad day for the legal profession. Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, has passed away. As noted in a press release from the high court, it is believed that O’Connor died of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness. She was 93 years old at the time of her death.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts released the following statement in the wake of Justice O’Connor’s death:
“A daughter of the American Southwest, Sandra Day O’Connor blazed an historic trail as our Nation’s first female Justice. She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor. We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education. And we celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant and patriot.”
Born in 1930 in El Paso, Texas, Justice O’Connor grew up in Arizona, and in her youth, she started on a path to excellence, skipping two grades before she went on to Stanford, later graduating from the elite university’s law school (alongside her hopeful love interest and future colleague on the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist). After graduating, she couldn’t get an interview at a single law firm because she was a woman, but she contended that she “didn’t go to law school to become a wife,” so she forced her way into the legal profession.
By the time she was nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan, Justice O’Connor was a well-regarded state judge. Because she was the first woman to be considered for a seat on the nation’s highest court, there were more requests for press passes for her confirmation than there were for the Watergate hearings. She was confirmed on an unanimous 99-0 Senate vote — something that seems unheard of considering today’s political climate.
Justice O’Connor eventually started leaning left, becoming the high court’s critical swing vote on issues like sex discrimination, abortion rights, gay rights, and affirmative action. Finally, after 12 years as the only woman on the bench, she found true joy and a contemporary when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed as the second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court (and a women’s bathroom was finally built for their use).
Justice O’Connor decided to step back from the Court in 2005 in part due to her husband, John O’Connor’s advanced Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and was incredibly disillusioned by her successor, Justice Samuel Alito, a man who she viewed as a “betrayal of all her accomplishments.” In her retirement, she served at he helm of iCivics, a program to teach government and civics lessons to middle and high school students. Years later, in 2018, the Supreme Court released a letter detailing her own possible Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and her decision to step away from public life and her regretful withdrawal from her civic duties.
Justice O’Connor is survived by her three sons, six grandchildren, and her brother. She was predeceased by her husband in 2009.
We at Above the Law extend our condolences to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
Press Release Regarding Justice O’Connor [U.S. Supreme Court]
Sandra Day O’Connor, First Woman on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 93 [New York Times]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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