- Sandra Day O’Connor has died at age 93.
- She was known as the first woman on the Supreme Court.
- O’Connor reportedly died from complicated of advanced dementia.
It has been reported that Sandra Day O’Connor, known as the first woman on the Supreme Court, has died at the age of 93. The cause of death was noted as “complications related to advanced dementia.”
O’Connor served as a source of inspiration for successive generations of female lawyers, particularly the five women who followed her nomination to the high court. They esteemed her groundbreaking achievements in a legal landscape traditionally dominated by men. Gradually, she gained recognition as a moderate conservative, frequently occupying the pivotal role of the swing vote on contentious social issues.
Remembering Sandra Day O’Connor and her legacy
Chief Justice John Roberts characterized O’Connor as a “patriot” and a “strongly independent champion of the rule of law, as well as an articulate supporter of civics education.”
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In a letter penned in 2018, O’Connor disclosed that she had received a diagnosis of the initial stages of dementia, likely Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the anticipated challenges in the concluding chapter of her life due to dementia, she expressed in her letter, “Nothing has diminished my gratitude and profound appreciation for the countless blessings of my life.”
Throughout her tenure, O’Connor served on the nine-member Supreme Court alongside the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Ginsburg, who passed away in September 2020 before O’Connor, was the most recent justice to do so.
Since Ginsburg’s appointment, four other women have been named to the court and are presently in service: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Rest in peace.