SEARCH TIPS
ADVANCED SEARCH
DOCKET SEARCH
Search
Toggle navigation
OPINIONS
Opinions of the Court
Opinions Relating to Orders
In-Chambers Opinions
U. S. Reports
Online Sources Cited in Opinions
Media Files Cited in Opinions
Case Citation Finder
FILING & RULES
Electronic Filing
Rules and Guidance
Supreme Court Bar
ORAL ARGUMENTS
Argument Transcripts
Argument Audio
Calendars and Lists
Courtroom Seating
CASE DOCUMENTS
Docket Search
Orders of the Court
Orders by Circuit
Granted/Noted Cases List
Journal
NEWS MEDIA
Services for News Media
Press Releases
Media Advisories
Press Credentials
Speeches
A Reporter's Guide to Applications
Chief Justice's Year-End Reports on the Federal Judiciary
ABOUT
Justices
Supreme Court at Work
Code of Conduct for Justices
History and Traditions
The Supreme Court Building
Building Regulations
Frequently Asked Questions
VISIT
Hours & Directions
Prohibited Items
Accessibility
What Can I See and Do?
Exhibitions
Activities for Students & Families
Maps & Brochures
Student Group Visits
Etiquette
Café & Building Amenities
Home
>
About the Court
>
Biography of Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Biography of Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor (Retired), Associate Justice,
was born in El Paso, Texas, March 26, 1930. She married John Jay O’Connor III in 1952 and had three sons—Scott, Brian, and Jay. She received her B.A. and LL.B. from Stanford University. She served as Deputy County Attorney of San Mateo County, California, from 1952 to 1953 and as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster Market Center, Frankfurt, Germany, from 1954 to1957. From 1958 to1960, she practiced law in Maryvale, Arizona, and served as Assistant Attorney General of Arizona from 1965 to1969. She was appointed to the Arizona State Senate in 1969 and was subsequently reelected to two two-year terms. In 1975 she was elected Judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court and served until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. President Reagan nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and she took her seat September 25, 1981. Justice O’Connor retired from the Supreme Court on January 31, 2006, and died on December 1, 2023.