Sandra Day O’Connor Digital Library
The Sandra Day O’Connor Digital Library and Resource Center is an ongoing program by the O’Connor Institute to document her storied life and accomplishments for current reference and posterity. The O’Connor Digital Library offer students and the general public educational information and access to diverse sources of information, from her early life on the Lazy B Ranch, through her quarter century on the Unites States Supreme Court, as well as her most recent initiatives.
The World’s Most Comprehensive Online Collection of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s Life and Work
The Sandra Day O’Connor Digital Library catalogs the life and work of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. For the first time, Justice O’Connor’s body of work across her decades in public service is available in an easily accessible, searchable format.
Additional Resources
Biography
Sandra Day O'Connor made history in 1981 when she was sworn in by then Chief Justice Warren Burger as the first woman to the United States Supreme Court in its 191-year history. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, it was O'Connor’s intelligence and grit that made her a transformational figure in the nation's highest court of law.
Behind the Scenes of Sandra Day O'Connor's First Days on the Supreme Court
In 1981, when Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice on the Supreme Court, the bulletin led every TV news broadcast and major newspaper in the country and many abroad. The cover of Time magazine read, “Justice—At Last.”
O’Connor’s confirmation hearings that September became a huge media event. There were more requests for press credentials than there had been for the Senate Watergate Committee hearings in 1973. A new media institution—cable TV—carried the hearings live, a first for a judicial nomination. Tens of millions of people saw and heard a composed, radiant, hazel-eyed woman with a broad gap-toothed smile and large hands testify for three days...
Sandra Day O'Connor Day
The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University celebrate the Inaugural Sandra Day O’Connor Day on September 25th, the day the first woman, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in to the Supreme Court of the United States.
In recognition of the day and her accomplishments, including being the first female majority leader in the Arizona State Senate, Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation establishing September 25, 2018, as Sandra Day O’Connor Day.
Awards
In recognition of her pioneering work, Sandra Day O'Connor has received 100 distinguished awards and 41 honorary doctorates from universities across the country and in Japan.
Interviews and Speeches
Dozens of the interviews and public speeches Justice Sandra Day O'Connor made throughout her career can be found here.
Legislative Record
Sandra Day O'Connor was elected twice to the Arizona State Senate, serving from 1969 to 1974. This page lists the bills she sponsored during that time.
Appellate Court Opinions
Sandra Day O'Connor served as a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals from 1980 to 1981. This page lists the opinions she wrote during her time on the state bench.
Supreme Court Opinions
This page contains a complete index of the Supreme Court opinions written by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Publications
Over the course of her long career, Sandra Day O'Connor has written five books on topics ranging from her life growing up in rural Arizona to notable moments in the history of the Supreme Court. She has also written more than 65 articles, speeches, and book chapters that have been published in legal journals and newspapers venues around the world.
Additional Policy Archive Resources
More information about Sandra Day O'Connor, including articles about her written by others, can be found here.
Letter to the Public - October 2018
FROM SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR
Friends and fellow Americans,
Since many people have asked about my current status and activities, I want to be open about these changes, and while I am still able, share some personal thoughts...
Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Celebration Day
Celebrating Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Celebration Day
Sandra Day O’Connor Civic Celebration Day, was signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in 2020. In 2022, the date was observed on September 26. To commemorate the occasion, the Institute founded by Justice O'Connor, celebrated throughout the week with a variety of events.
