Move over, Brethren!

The Uniied States Supreme Court, after 191 years and 101 male justices, apparently will join the mainstream of U;S. life with the appointment of Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, the high court’s first woman justice. The breaching of the last male bastion in the federal government is as splendid as it is overdue. What’s really surprising is that the nation’s first woman justice has the backing of Ronald Reagan, a president whose party last year reversed 40 years of backing for an equal rights amendment. Reagan has been under fire recently for what even supporters admit is a dismal record of appointments: Only 42 women . among the 390 appointees that so far have required Senate confirmation. But, Reagan has a promising prospect. A graduate (along with Justice Rehnquist) of Stanford University Law School, O’Connor is thought a good lawyer, a scholarly writer and a superior jurisL She has an interest in the outdoors and a, background in civic and charitable causes. In his announcement of Judge O’Connor’s nomiria- . tion, President Reagan called her “a person for all seasons.” He noted that she possesses “those unique qualities of temperament, fairness and intellectual capacity and devotion to the public good which have characterized the 101 ‘Brethren’ who have preceded her.” Reagan chose O’Connor despite pressures from groups who fear her approach to women’s rights’ issues. On the other hand, women’s groups such as the National Women’s Political Caucus cheered