Thoughts on Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Reading about Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation today, I was reminded of how incredible it is that we have had a female judge on the Supreme Court for the past 24 years.

At first I was a little disappointed with the coverage. So much of the focus was on the details of her decisions and not about Justice O'Connor herself. Since I was only learning to read when she was first appointed, I would have liked to hear a little more background about her pre-Supreme Court days as well. I also would have liked to read more about her experience as the first female Supreme Court justice.

But then I thought again. Maybe the coverage of Justice O'Connor's resignation was actually symbolic of the incredible strides women have made in American society. The fact that the coverage was essentially no different than it would have been had this been a male justice retiring, shows that it is no longer a "big deal" that there was a woman on the Supreme Court.

Very little of the reporting discussed Justice O'Connor's personal life and motivations. But this one excerpt from the NY Times was very touching:

Several factors compelled Justice O'Connor to vacate her seat, according to her son, former clerks and friends. Her husband, John Jay O'Connor III, has suffered from Alzheimer's disease and grown increasingly dependent on his wife of more than 50 years. He often spent days with her at the court, resting in her office while she sat on the bench.

(Photo from NY Times)

Update: Follow-up NY Times article talks about the impact her career as Supreme Court Justice has had on women in the judiciary.

Comments

[aliza]

I think the low-key coverage is indicative of how "normal" it is to have women in positions of power. However, I am old enough to remember the hullaboo that occurred when she was appointed. We were so proud!

[David Kelseu]

Yes, now that she is gone, perhaps we can finally get rid of those horrible affirmitive action programs she upheld.