The four women who have served on the United States Supreme Court came together on Wednesday to honor the 30th anniversary of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment to the bench. Current Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan joined Justice O’Connor at the Newseum in Washington, DC, for a panel discussion on the lasting effects of Justice O’Connor’s appointment.
Justice O’Connor spoke about the responsibility she felt as the lone woman on the bench, saying, “it’s all right to be the first to do something, but I certainly didn’t want to be the last woman on the Supreme Court.” The three current justices spoke about how Justice O’Connor’s appointment impacted their own career paths and inspired them.
Wednesday night’s event marked the first time all three current female justices appeared with Justice O’Connor. Justice O’Connor was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan. She retired in 2006 after serving for 24 years.
New York Times 4/12/12; CSPAN 4/11/12; Huffington Post 4/11/12; AP 4/11/12
