Early Career
Justice O'Connor began her career working, unpaid, for the San Mateo county attorney. She soon worked her way up to Deputy County Attorney. After marrying John Jay O’Connor on December 20, 1952, they moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where O'Connor worked as a civilian lawyer for the Quartermaster Masker Center. In 1958, they settled in Arizona, where O'Connor practiced privately before returning to public service as Arizona's Assistant Attorney General from 1965 to 1969.
Dawson, Danni. Sandra Day O’Connor. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States. Accessed 24 January 2020.
The Judicial Branch of Arizona. Maricopa County, Accessed 24 January 2020.
In 1969, O'Connor received a state senate appointment from Jack Williams, Arizona's governor. He requested O'Connor fill a court vacancy. O'Connor won reelection twice, as a conservative Republican. In 1974, she ran for the Maricopa County Superior Court and won. O'Connor developed a reputation of having strong, fair opinions. Outside the courtroom, she remained involved in Republican politics.
In 1979, O'Connor was selected to serve on Arizona's Court of Appeals. After two years, President Ronald Reagan nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court. O'Connor received unanimous approval from the Senate, breaking new ground for women as the first female justice on the highest court.