Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: Reflections of a Fellow Jurist

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Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: Reflections of a Fellow Jurist

Laurance T. Wren*

On the afternoon of September 25, 1981, I watched Sandra O’Connor sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. I marveled that an event so steeped in tradition would consume only a few minutes. She spoke no words, except her oath, followed by a smile at the President and a “welcome” from the Chief Justice. Yet, with this simple ceremony she began walking where no woman had ever walked before.

As Justice O’Connor took her seat to the far left of the Court, I felt great pride in being a member of the “obscure” Arizona court from which she came. The early morning announcement on July 7, 1981, that Presi dent Reagan had nominated her to the Supreme Court was not only to

change the course of American history, it was to have a tremendous im pact on Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals, and even take some of its members to a reception. at the White House and the chambers of the United States Supreme Court.

The announcement also brought to our court scores of reporters, pho tographers, and television cameramen. We were deluged by hundreds of phone calls from all over the United States. As one of our judges com mented, it was as if we, too, had been vicariously appointed to the Court. As I write this, on the first Monday in October, the Court crier has again proclaimed that Supreme Court of the United States is in session, and Justice O’Connor has begun her