Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: True Champion for the Rule of Law

ABA ROLI Board Chair Judge M. Margaret McKeown (third from right) with her law clerks
and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (center)

Recently, Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, announced that she was withdrawing from public life. Justice O'Connor was not only a trailblazing member of the court, she was also a tireless advocate for the rule of law and the work of ABA ROLI. It is with profound gratitude that ABA ROLI's Board Chair, Judge M. Margaret McKeown issued a statement recognizing Justice O'Connor's contribution to the American legal system and the efforts to promote justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity through the rule of law around the world.

I have the great fortune to know Justice O'Connor through her commitment to the rule of law and also as the Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit. From her early support as a founding member of the ABA's Central and Eastern European Law Initiative in the early 1990s to her later service on the ABA Rule of Law Initiative Board, she has been a tireless and eloquent advocate for the importance of judicial independence and transparency. Whether meeting with foreign judiciaries or talking to American lawyers and law students, Justice O'Connor has emphasized that this endeavor is not rule by law, but rule of law. She has also recognized the importance of international law in U.S. courts. Her message has been direct and heartfelt; in every way, Justice O'Connor is a true champion for the rule of law. 

Judge M. Margaret McKeown
Chair, ABA Rule of Law Initiative Board