A Tribute to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

A TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR

I am pleased and honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to my friend of forty-five years, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. I will not try to spell out the positive effect that Sandra has had on the evolution of our nation’s law in her fifteen years on the Court; suffice it to say, she has developed a brilliant and well respected body of jurisprudence. But, as I would have expected, to look only at Sandra’s jurisprudence is to seriously understate the contribution she has made as a Supreme Court Justice. Sandra has a warm, giving nature and a seemingly inexhaustible well-spring of energy that will not allow her to believe that her work consists solely of hearing oral argument and drafting opinions, although these duties in themselves amount to more than a full-time job. As long as I have known her, Sandra has always gone beyond the stated duties of whatever position she has held, and her appointment to the Supreme Court has, if anything, inspired her to go even further beyond what is required. With her years of experience in the American legal profession and her unique perspective as a Supreme Court Justice, Sandra is an ideal candidate to advise other nations about the operation of our nation’s legal system. She has embraced her candidacy with characteristic vigor. Since her appointment to the Court, Sandra has met with foreign judges and dignitaries from countries on six of the world’s seven continents. She has also participated