The first woman to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court recently passed away in Arizona. On March 26, 1930, this American icon was born in El Paso, Texas. She grew up riding horses and helping on cattle roundups on her parents’ ranch in Arizona. Although she was a good student, no one suspected that she would one day change the world. Her name was Sandra Day O’Connor. She would grow up to be the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court!
Throughout her storied career, she was an attorney, a member of the Arizona Senate, and a judge before becoming a justice on nation’s the highest court. O’Connor was a bold trailblazer, who undertook a difficult career path. She was a brilliant student who entered college two years early. O’Connor graduated third in her class from Stanford University Law School. However, she struggled to find a job. In those days, law firms didn’t want to hire a woman, even a skilled one. Finally, O’Connor became Deputy County Attorney in California by offering to work for free. She later spent time in the Arizona Senate, and as a judge on the Arizona State Court of Appeals. In 1981, Ronald Reagan nominated her to the Supreme Court.
O’Connor wrote Lazy B, a book about growing up on the ranch. Her upbringing on the ranch influenced her career as a Justice. She felt that it made her a better decisionmaker because working on a ranch meant being decisive about the fates of people and animals. She also had some early experience being the only woman working with men. When she was young, she joined her father on cattle roundups, which were staffed by men. She later described how this allowed her other female relatives to join in. O’Connor had proven that a woman was capable of holding her own in a typically male-only situation.
As the first female member of the Supreme Court, O’Connor had to face and break “the glass ceiling.” The glass ceiling isn’t a real ceiling made of glass. It’s the social construct that prevents women from joining men in high-powered careers. O’Connor is an inspiration for women in law, because her presence proved that women are as capable as men of holding jobs in the legal profession. In her own words, “It’s fine to be the first, but you don’t want to be the last.” And since her time as a Supreme Court Justice, five other women have served on the court.
Sadly, after a fulfilling and inspiring career, O’Connor passed away on Dec. 1, 2023. She left us with the knowledge that women can achieve great things, and forged a path for them to pursue careers in law. O’Connor is not an important figure because she became a judge. She is important because she overcame daily challenges, and will inspire girls to follow in her footsteps for generations to come.
At O’Connor’s memorial service, President Joe Biden said, “Equal justice under law is the…noblest aspiration of humankind and the aspiration of Sandra Day O’Connor, one that she pursued her whole life.” In addition to her determination to break into a field where many felt she did not belong, O’Connor’s dedication to finding justice for all Americans is what makes her a true hero.
