Sandra Day O'Connor lies in repose at Supreme Court, will be memorialized at National Cathedral Justice Sotomayor, in tribute remarks, called O'Connor her "life role model."
By Tal Axelrod and Alexandra Hutzler
December 19, 2023, 12:44 AM
8:06
The flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor arrives at t...Show MoreShow More
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be memorialized this week in the nation's capital.
O'Connor, who died on Dec. 1 at age 93, is lying in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court on Monday, where the public will have the ability to pay respects.
Supreme Court police officers served on the casket team, and O'Connor's seven grandchildren served as honorary pallbearers.
MORE: Sandra Day O'Connor, 1st woman on Supreme Court, dies at 93
From left, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh...Show more ---Show more
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
All nine current Supreme Court justices attended Monday's service, during which Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Rev. Jane E. Fahey, who served as a law clerk for O'Connor in the 1980s, delivered remarks. Both women described O'Connor as a trailblazer and friend, and remarked in detail about O'Connor's congeniality on the court.
"She was devoted to making a better world, and that's what she did," Sotomayor said, adding that O'Connor was her "life role model."
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks during a service for retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court in Washington, Dec. 18, 2023.
Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Sotomayor also discussed O'Connor's impact on the law in her nearly 700 opinions from the bench, saying she approached every case with "incredible thoughtfulness and sought to arrive at a practical conclusion."
MORE: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman in the Supreme Court, to lie in repose
"The nation was well served by the steady hand and intellect of a justice who never lost sight of how the law affected ordinary people," she said.
A 1999 portrait of O'Connor was on display as she lay in repose.
The flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor arrives at the Supreme Court in Washington, Dec. 18, 2023.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff visited the Supreme Court to pay their respects.
"I first met Justice O'Connor years ago. Like so many who knew her, I will always remember her kindness, intelligence, and deep love for our country," Harris said in a statement first marking O'Connor's passing.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff pause in front of the flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court i...Show more ---Show more
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
O'Connor's funeral will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. The service will not be open to the public, but journalists covering the event will be in attendance.
President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts will give eulogies at the funeral as will O'Connor's son, Jay.
"Justice O'Connor's indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to justice made her a pioneer and an inspiration to generations, breaking barriers and leaving an enduring mark on the nation's highest court," said Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, which has hosted multiple former presidents' funerals and other notable memorials. "The Cathedral has been blessed by her many years of service and worship."
The flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor arrives at the Supreme Court in Washington, Dec. 18, 2023.
Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
O'Connor's death was announced by the Supreme Court, citing "complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer's, and a respiratory illness."
She was named as the high court's first female jurist by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is shown before administering the oath of office to members of the Texas Supreme Court in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 6, 2003.
Harry Cabluck/AP
The former justice, who said during her confirmation hearing that "the proper role of the judiciary is one of interpreting and applying the law -- not making it," was often a swing vote on the court, going on to write landmark opinions on abortion access and affirmative action. More controversially, she was also a key vote in the ruling that allowed George W. Bush to win the 2000 presidential election.
O'Connor later wrote that being the first female jurist was a challenge, but that she was "grateful" for opening a door for other women.
"The first woman on the Court was carefully scrutinized by the press, the government, the lawyers, and the public," O'Connor wrote in her 2013 history of the Supreme Court. "It is not always comfortable to be the object of so much attention. But the appointment of a woman to the Court opened countless doors to women all across the country. For that I am grateful."
ABC News' Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
Promoted Links by Taboola Promoted Links by Taboola
Superfood Reviews
Do This Everyday to Ease Eczema Flare-UpsSuperfood Reviews Read More
Undo
URUHIME MOMOKO
A woman in her 40s drank "Ceramide" and her skin became…URUHIME MOMOKO
Undo
Body Design News
People who can't lose weight may not have tried "this"!Body Design News
Undo
What to know about ketamine therapy after Matthew Perry's cause of death announced
Undo
Federal judge orders documents naming Jeffrey Epstein's associates to be unsealed
Undo
In blistering ruling, judge denies Trump's motion for directed verdict
Undo
Best Hearing Aids
Seniors Born Before 1967 Are Eligible For Invisible Hearing AidsBest Hearing Aids
Undo
Medline Reviews
How I Finally Slept After Struggling with Insomnia for YearsMedline Reviews
Undo
Hair’s Rich
Watsons-bought "Japan's hair growth gel" worked so wellHair’s Rich
Undo
Top Stories
Google to pay consumers $700 million in settlement. Here's who's eligible
Dec 20, 12:36 AM
Mike Johnson and daughter were profiled attending 'purity ball' in 2015 TV segment
Dec 21, 1:59 AM
At least 14 dead, dozens wounded in shooting at Prague university
Dec 22, 5:44 AM
Jury finds 3 officers not guilty in Manuel Ellis' 2020 death
Dec 22, 7:49 AM
A white couple who burned a cross in their yard facing Black neighbors' home are investigated by FBI
Dec 21, 8:19 AM
ABC News Live
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events