Honor a Legend: View Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at the Supreme Court

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to Lie In Repose at the Supreme Court Today, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor—the first woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States—will lie in repose at the Supreme Court. This peaceful gesture comes as a show of appreciation to a justice who served the court honorably for 24 years and made major contributions to the nation’s highest court as well as to the country itself. Justice O’Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, becoming the first woman to ever be confirmed to the Supreme Court. Throughout her tenure, she was known for being an independent thinker who was often the deciding vote in major Supreme Court cases; she voted in favor of Roe v. Wade in 1992 and also sided with the majority in Bush v. Gore in 2000. Justice O’Connor’s 24 years on the bench had a significant impact on the Supreme Court. Her contributions were meaningful in matters such as abortion rights, religion in public schools, race-based affirmative action, and free speech, among other topics. In particular, she wrote one of the most consequential opinions in the court’s history in 2003’s Grutter v. Bollinger when she voted in favor of affirmative action. Justice O’Connor firmly believed in the court’s obligation to protect the rights of minorities, even if the other justices dissented. In addition to her contributions to the Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor dedicated her life to public service. Notably, she served on the Arizona Legislature from 1954-1969 and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and even after her retirement from the court she continued her commitment to public service through such projects as iCivics and The O’Connor Institute. Justice O’Connor passed away in 2020 after a lengthy battle with dementia at the age of 88. To commemorate her legacy, the Supreme Court will hold a brief lying in repose ceremony for Justice O’Connor in the court’s Great Hall on Jan. 25, 2021. Current Supreme Court justices will be joined by family and friends of Justice O’ Connor, including fellow Justice Clarence Thomas, who considers Justice O’Connor a mentor. Justice O’Connor achieved monumental feats in her lifetime and will forever be remembered for her one-of-a-kind contributions to the nation and the Supreme Court. Lying in repose is a fitting homage to her place in history and serves as a reminder of the lasting impact she had on the court.