President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts delivered eulogies at the funeral of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a legal pioneer and the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The ceremony took place at Washington National Cathedral.
O’Connor, known as a dealmaker and fearless champion for women’s rights, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. She passed away on December 1 at the age of 93.
O’Connor is renowned for her role as a decisive swing vote on the court. She crafted key decisions and upheld significant rights during her tenure, before retiring in 2006.
The ceremony also included speeches from O’Connor’s son, Jay, and her biographer, Evan W. Thomas III.
As the nation pays tribute, reflections on her influential career and the current shifts in the Supreme Court’s dynamics come to the forefront. O’Connor’s legacy, especially her impact on issues like abortion, remains the topic of considerable discussion as the court’s current conservative majority revisits and often reverses previous rulings.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.