Breaking Barriers: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Legacy

Few Americans have transformed our nation's trajectory quite like Sandra Day O'Connor. Born on an Arizona ranch where she learned resilience and grit, her journey to becoming the first woman on the Supreme Court reveals both personal determination and the evolving story of American democracy itself.

Sandra Day grew up on the 200,000-acre Lazy Bee Ranch, developing problem-solving skills and persistence that would define her remarkable career. Despite graduating third in her class from Stanford Law School, every law firm refused to hire her while readily employing her husband. Undeterred, she volunteered without pay at a city attorney's office just to practice law. This determination propelled her through glass ceiling after glass ceiling—from becoming the first female majority leader in any American state legislature to her historic appointment to the Supreme Court by President Reagan in 1981.

When women across America heard the news of her nomination, many pulled their cars to the roadside, overcome with emotion. For thirteen years, she served as the sole woman on the Court, navigating an institution not designed for women—working without a desk and in a building without appropriate restrooms. Yet her impact extended globally as countries worldwide began appointing women to their highest courts following her example. After retirement, Justice O'Connor channeled her energy into strengthening democratic foundations through civic education initiatives, recognizing that informed citizenship forms the backbone of our constitutional republic. The Sandra Day O'Connor Institute continues this work today, offering resources for teachers and citizens across all fifty states.

What civic education have you received? How might our democracy be different had Sandra Day O'Connor never broken those barriers? Visit civicsforlife.org to discover resources that honor her legacy by strengthening our shared democratic values.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wonderful Okay.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome back to Civics.
In a Year.
Today we are honoring JusticeSandra Day O'Connor, and today
is Sandra Day O'Connor Day herein the state of Arizona.
Justice O'Connor was the firstwoman to serve on the US Supreme
Court, a trailblazer in law andpublic service, anda lifelong
champion for civic education.
In today's episode, I am joinedby Sarah Suggs, President and

(00:26):
CEO of the Sandra Day O'ConnorInstitute here in Arizona, and
we're going to talk about herArizona roots, her
groundbreaking career and whyher legacy continues to shape
how we think about democracytoday.
So, Sarah, thank you so muchfor being here.
My first question Sandra DayO'Connor was the first woman to
serve on the US Supreme Court,but she also has deep Arizona

(00:50):
roots.
Can you share a little bitabout her story and why her
career was so groundbreaking?

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yes, and thank you for having me today.
Liz Well, Sandra Day grew up onthe Lazy Bee Ranch in
southeastern Arizona, roughly200,000 acres that span Arizona
and New Mexico.
She lived so far from schoolthat her parents sent her to
live in El Paso with hergrandparents so that she could
receive her education.

(01:18):
She graduated at the age of 16from her high school and all her
life the only university sheheard her father talk about was
Stanford, so that's the oneuniversity she applied.
She was accepted at a veryyoung age and went on to become
a very top student.

(01:38):
I think her background at theLazy Bee was really profound in
helping to shape not just hercharacter but her grit and
resilience.
Finding a way for solutions,working with the cowboys, going
out on trail rides, standing upto harsh elements those things
helped form her character, Ibelieve, and as she went on

(02:03):
through her career, startingwith her graduation from law
school, where she was third inher character, I believe, and as
she went on through her career,starting with her graduation
from law school, where she wasthird in her class but couldn't
be hired by any law firm in theBay Area, her husband, John, was
accepted at a prestigious firmbut she couldn't find a place to
work.
So she somehow managed toconnect with the city manager of

(02:24):
San Mateo excuse me, the cityattorney and convinced him to
let her volunteer.
So she worked for no pay, justso that she could practice law,
and eventually he found astipend to pay her and she
worked right next to hissecretary and that's how she got
her start.
But again, it goes back tofinding a way, figuring out a

(02:45):
solution and not giving up.
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
And she, you know, goes on to be a huge part of our
state government the only womanto serve in all three branches,
or the only person?
Is it the only person to servein all three branches of a state
government?

Speaker 1 (03:01):
founding.
She was in the executive branchin the 1960s as an assistant
attorney general, and then, ofcourse, she went on to the
legislature where she served asa senator and majority leader,

(03:26):
elected by her colleagues andthe first woman in America to
serve as majority leader for anystate house in the country.
And then, of course, governorBabbitt Bruce Babbitt tapped her
into the judicial branch andthe rest, as they say, is
history.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
And she has an amazing you know career with the
Supreme Court, but afterretiring, she dedicated herself
to civic education and advancingAmerican democracy.
Why do you think she saweducating young people as such
an important part of her legacy?

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Well, for those of us who grew up with a civics
education every day in theclassroom, it's hard to fathom
not having that subject andbecoming an adult and a voting
citizen and not understandingthe foundations of our
government, how it works, andyour civic responsibilities as a
citizen.
So she has, as you know,championed two non-profits,

(04:26):
iCivics and the Sandra DayO'Connor Institute, which was
originally founded as O'ConnorHouse in 2009.
And that was a movement to saveher historic home from
demolition, and it's now listedon the National Register of
Historic Places, but after thatwas completed.
Movement to save her historichome from demolition, and it's
now listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places, but
after that was completed.
She, in 2015, gave theInstitute the charge to focus on
three areas civic education,civil discourse and civic

(04:47):
engagement, all asinfrastructure so essential to
upholding our nation'sconstitutional republic.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
And I do want to say the Sandra J O'Connor Institute
has I mean, they have a website.
I know there's really greatpolicy briefs, even though this
is an Arizona-based place.
There is stuff for teachersaround the nation.
There's a lot of things.
So I do want to make sure thatanybody listening to this right
now understands that, althoughthe Sandra J O'Connor Institute

(05:17):
is housed here in Arizona we arevery, very proud of that there
is stuff for anybody on thewebsite which will be in our
show notes.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Oh, without a doubt, and thanks for bringing that up,
we have an office in WashingtonDC at the Barry O'Connor
Building.
We also sponsor a fellowshipfor third-year law students at
the Sandra Day O'Connor Collegeof Law.
We have participants in all ofour programs from all 50 states
in the nation, and our resourcesfor all multi-generations are

(05:47):
available through ourcivicsforlifeorg website.
Through our civicsforlifeorgwebsite.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
I love that.
So Arizona celebrates SandraDay O'Connor Day.
This was actually somethingthat former Governor Doug Ducey
had instituted, and then civicgroups.
We just continue.
September 25th is an importantday here in Arizona.
What does this day mean for ourstate and for the nation when
we think about her impact oncivic life?

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Well, Well, when Governor Ducey issued the
proclamation and we were thereit was a proud day.
The law or the day requiresthat a good portion of the day
be devoted to civic education inthe classroom and we hope that
Arizona honors that for itsstudents.
It's rare in the country tohave such a day, but in Arizona

(06:34):
we're privileged to have thatand it's continued on with
Governor Hobbs, thankfully.
So what it means is not justrecognizing that Sandra Day
O'Connor was a giant, not justArizona but for the nation.
When they heard that PresidentRonald Reagan nominated her to

(06:59):
the Supreme Court of the UnitedStates, they had to pull over to
the side of the road becausethey were crying.
It opened doors to women in lawthat, and for 13 years roughly
12 to 13 years she was the solewoman on the Supreme Court.
She didn't have a desk.
When she got there she sat onthe floor with one of her clerks
and went through briefs.

(07:19):
The restrooms were all for men.
I mean the things that she wentthrough again, the grit from
the lazy bee just forge aheadand go on.
But she also opened the doorfor women around the world and
courts and countries across theglobe said look at what the
United States did.
Maybe we should do that too.

(07:39):
And indeed we've seen thatwomen advance to the highest
levels of the judiciary aroundthe world, and it's because of
Sandra Day O'Connor.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yes, and we are so proud to have her.
As an Arizonan and I know thatyou had a close personal
relationship with late justice.
I got to meet her plenty oftimes and she genuinely was a
champion for civic educationadvancing American democracy.
So, sarah Suggs, thank you somuch for being on our Civics in

(08:09):
a Year podcast and celebratingJustice O'Connor with me.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Thank you for the honor.