The Life and Legacy of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

We remember the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, not only as the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, but also as the founder of a movement to revitalize civic education. We at iCivics are honored and humbled to carry Justice O’Connor’s commitment to—and passion for—civic education forward into the future.

When Justice O’Connor retired from the Supreme Court in 2006 after nearly 25 years on the federal bench, her exemplary career was already the embodiment of civic engagement. An aspiring cattle rancher as a child, Justice O’Connor forged a legal career at a time when few women did, and served in all three branches of Arizona state government.

But, she wasn't done yet.

Over the course of her career, Justice O’Connor grew concerned about a growing lack of understanding about our system of government and the disengagement that inevitably follows. Justice O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 with the goal of transforming civic education through innovative, engaging games and resources. Today, iCivics is the nation’s leading provider of and advocate for meaningful high-quality, nonpartisan civic education used by up to 145,000 educators to teach 9 million students in all 50 states.

Of all her accomplishments, Justice O’Connor considered iCivics to be her most important work and greatest legacy.

Justice O'Connor's Lasting Legacy

“We must arm today's young people with innovative civic education that is relevant to them. Bringing high-quality civics to every school in every state of our union is the only way that the next generations will become effective citizens and leaders.”

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Founder and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Reflections on Justice O'Connor Through the Years

Today, iCivics lost its leader, but we continue to be guided by Sandra Day O’Connor

In 2014, I met with Sandra Day O’Connor for dinner at a restaurant in Washington, DC, to interview for the

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Though her career on the U.S. Supreme Court often took center stage, Justice O’Connor saw her founding of iCivics, the

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Classroom Resources

iCivics and Seneca Women have partnered to produce a classroom lesson based on Justice O’Connor’s extraordinary life. Seneca Women is a global leadership platform dedicated to advancing women and girls to fast-forward us to a more equitable and prosperous world.