Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O鈥機onnor died on Friday, December 1 at age 93. Justice O鈥機onnor was the first woman to serve on the nation鈥檚 highest court. The Colorado Women鈥檚 Bar Association President Emma Garrison joined KUNC鈥檚 Nikole Robinson Carroll to talk about Justice O鈥機onnor鈥檚 legacy.
Garrison told KUNC the legal community, especially the women in it, are feeling the loss.
鈥淭he old saying goes, 鈥榊ou cannot be what you do not see,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淗aving a woman at the highest pinnacle of the legal profession really matters to girls and women who want to pursue careers in law or careers on the bench.鈥�
Garrison said O鈥機onnor graduated at the top of her class at Stanford Law, but was offered only secretarial work at a major law firm.
鈥淪he had to get her foot in the door by volunteering at a district attorney's office before finally forging a career for herself,鈥� Garrison said.
Before taking the bench in Washington, O鈥機onnor was an attorney for the Army. She also served as an assistant attorney general and a state senator in Arizona.
Justice O'Connor even left a mark on Colorado through her work. Notably, she voted with the majority in the case. The opinion, announced in May 1996, struck down an amendment to the state constitution that would have blocked any laws to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
Justice O鈥� Connor also voted to uphold and . The current Supreme Court has overturned those precedents.
