What the framers of the Constitution tried to achieve when they wrote that Constitution back in the 1700s was an independent federal judiciary. They wanted federal judges to be appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and to serve for good behavior.
Sandra Day O'ConnorDo the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.
Sandra Day O'ConnorSo how as a nation can we sit around and eat Mexican food, and drink beer and make friends? That's the question. If we can do that on a broader scale, I think we'll come out of it all right.
Sandra Day O'ConnorIf a State refused to let religious groups use facilities open to others, then it would demonstrate not neutrality but hostility toward religion.
Sandra Day O'ConnorEach justice hires their own clerks, and applications are made individually to the justices. It isn't a group decision.
Sandra Day O'ConnorHistorically, it took a long time before the court took any women law clerks. Finally, it did, but the numbers have never matched very effectively the percentages of law graduates out of graduating classes. We have far more than we ever did before and it's continued to grow, but it isn't a nice match yet.
Sandra Day O'Connor