Sandra Day O'Connor lived from 1930 to 2023 and was an American attorney, politician and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed unanimously by the Senate, she was the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice; before joining the Court she was an Arizona state judge and earlier an elected legislator in Arizona, serving as the first female majority leader of a state senate. A moderate conservative regarded as a swing vote, O'Connor wrote the majority opinions in Grutter v. Bollinger and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, was one of three co-authors of the lead opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey preserving legal access to abortion, and wrote part of the per curiam majority opinion in Bush v. Gore. She retired in 2005 and was succeeded by Samuel Alito in 2006.
Facts
RoleAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1981-2006, the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice 2 Nationality / Jurisdiction Place of Death Classification
Field of LawLegal Philosophy and Jurisprudence 1 Role
Role (category) FAQs
Why is Sandra Day O'Connor historically significant?
The first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, serving 1981 to 2006.
She was the first woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court justice, nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed unanimously by the Senate. Before the Court she was an Arizona state judge and the first female majority leader of a state senate.
Which major opinions did O'Connor write?
Grutter v. Bollinger, Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, and co-authorship of the Casey lead opinion.
She wrote the majority opinions in Grutter v. Bollinger and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, co-authored the lead opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and wrote part of the per curiam majority opinion in Bush v. Gore. She was regarded as a moderate conservative swing vote.
Connections
In Legal System
Source Wikidata: Sandra Day O'Connor
Member Of
Source Sandra Day O'Connor (Wikipedia)
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Nationality
Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.
Source Sandra Day O'Connor (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 2Quote, Lead sentence 1
Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 – December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006.
Sources
1. Sandra Day O'Connor (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFull article, field of lawQuote, Full article, field of law
In a 1983 opinion upholding searches by drug-sniffing dogs, she recognized that a search is most likely to be considered constitutionally reasonable if it is very effective at discovering contraband without revealing innocent but embarrassing information." Washington College of Law professor Andrew Taslitz, referencing O'Connor's dissent in a 2001 case, said of her Fourth Amendment jurisprudence: "O'Connor recognizes that needless humiliation of an individual is an important factor in determining Fourth Amendment reasonableness." O'Connor once quoted the social contract theory of John Locke as influencing her views on the reasonableness and constitutionality of government action.
2. Sandra Day O'Connor (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationEarly life and education section, first sentence
Sandra Day was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Harry Alfred Day, a rancher, and Ada Mae (Wilkey).
Personal life, illness and death section
On December 1, 2023, O'Connor died in Phoenix, at the age of 93, due to complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.
Lead paragraph, first sentence
Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 - December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006.
- Member Of: United States Supreme Court, lead states served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006
View the Source 3. Sandra Day O'Connor (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEarly life and education section, first sentence
Sandra Day was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Harry Alfred Day, a rancher, and Ada Mae (Wilkey).
final section, death sentence
On December 1, 2023, O'Connor died in Phoenix, at the age of 93, due to complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.
View the Source Wikidata: Sandra Day O'Connor
Wikidata Q11132 self-citation (QID resolved for a previously unsourced jurist)
P31 (instance of): human; QID resolved and verified for this jurist (Sandra Day O'Connor)
- In Legal System: Law of the United States, Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930, December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a
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