When Sandra Day O’Connor joined the United States Supreme Court, she shattered the glass ceiling and left an indelible mark on American law and society. She was a trailblazer in more ways than one, becoming the first woman to hold a leadership position in a state legislature and the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Her cautious and pragmatic approach to cases shaped the law on major issues, and she paved the way for future generations of women in law and politics.
There have been five women justices on the Supreme Court since Justice O’Connor’s confirmation in 1981, but she can also be viewed as the end of an era – the last generation before the high court became dominated by Ivy League and federal appeals court graduates, a conservative but unpredictable jurist who always considered the practical effects of the law.
“Everything she did made history,” from being the first woman ever to ask a question at oral argument to writing her first opinion and dissent. She made a profound impact during her time on the bench, and her legacy continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of women in the law.

