By Daniella Price
Upon hearing the news of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s passing, I immediately began to reflect on her legacy and profound impact as the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Justice O’Connor took the bench in 1981, a few years before I was born and decades before I contemplated a career in law. So, admittedly, I failed to fully appreciate her Honor outside of her notable legal opinions.
During the many news cycles remembering Justice O’Connor, I learned that Justice O'Connor attended Stanford Law School and was one of five women in her class. After graduating near the top of her class, Justice O’Connor was denied employment as an attorney based solely on her gender. The only job offer she received was the position of legal secretary. I could not imagine enduring the rigor of law school and passing the bar exam only to be refused employment based solely on my gender. Nevertheless, Justice O’Connor persisted by advocating on her own behalf and offering to work for free.
Throughout her career, Justice O'Connor graciously navigated spaces and systems inherently designed for men. She was the first woman to serve as majority leader in a state legislature. And when she took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court bench, there was no women’s restroom near the courtroom.
Justice O’Connor endured the pressure of being the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest Court. She understandably felt a special responsibility of doing an adequate job so it would be possible for other women to be appointed. With each stroke of her pen and unparalleled integrity, she carried this invisible weight. Her commitment to justice and pragmatic jurisprudence broke barriers and proved that while she was the first, she would not be the last.
However, Justice O’Connor believed that, “if [she] stumbled badly in doing the job, … it would have made life more difficult for women, and that was a great concern of [hers]….” As I reflect on the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I honor her as a trailblazer and advocate for equal justice under the law. Justice O’Connor shattered glass ceilings and reshaped the landscape of the American legal system. She paved the way for millions of women and inspired generations of jurists, including me. May she rest in peace knowing that she did the job well.
Daniella Price is co-editor-in-chief of The Philadelphia Lawyer and an attorney at Levy Baldante Finney & Rubenstein P.C.
