Sandra Day O'Connor born March 26, 1930 President Ronald Reagan's appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court in 1981 made her the first woman Supreme Court Justice. She graduated from Stanford University Law School in Palo Alto, California in 1952 third in her class. After being unable to get a job in a law firm, she instead entered public service. She has served as deputy county attorney in San Mateo, California, assistant attorney general in Arizona, and as an Arizona State Senator. She has also served on the Arizona Court of Appeals.