Sandra Day O'Connor

The members of the court were just delighted to have a ninth member - male or female. They were all kind and welcoming.

The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender.

For students, understanding the separate and unique functions of each branch of government can help them understand how different kinds of government officials can help solve different kinds of problems.

The framers of the Constitution were so clear in the federalist papers and elsewhere that they felt an independent judiciary was critical to the success of the nation.

Yes, I will bring the understanding of a woman to the Court, but I doubt that alone will affect my decisions.

Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.

In order to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, it is necessary that the path to leadership be visibly open to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity.

I don't know that there are any short cuts to doing a good job.

Young women today often have very little appreciation for the real battles that took place to get women where they are today in this country. I don't know how much history young women today know about those battles.

My concern was whether I could do the job of a justice well enough to convince the nation that my appointment was the right move.

I sort of thought the framers of the Constitution were talking about the rights of individuals, not corporate entities.

A state of war is not a blank check... when it comes to the rights of the Nation's citizens.