Article

Telling the Story of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Author: Susan Frelich Appleton (Washington University in St. Louis)

Abstract

This Article critiques Evan Thomas’s biography First: Sandra Day O’Connor by examining both intimacy and gender. Focusing on the role of gender, which this piece opines to be thin and unsatisfying. By rejecting the label “feminist,” Thomas ignores “feminist practical reasoning” as an explanation of Justice O’Connor’s approach to deciding cases. In addition, Thomas’s lack of focus on Justice O’Connor’s concurring opinion in J.E.B. v. Alabama, and specifically her ideas as they relate to cultural feminism. In conclusion, one must consider stories, including Thomas’s work, in the whole context, including the role of the storytellers themselves.

Keywords: SCOTUS, Supreme Court, justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, review, book review, Evan Thomas, biography, First: Sandra Day O’Connor, J.E.B. v. Alabama

How to Cite: Appleton, S. F. (2020) “Telling the Story of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor”, Washington University Journal of Law and Policy. 62(1).