More than 40 years ago, Sandra Day O'Connor would shatter the ultimate glass ceiling in our country's judicial system, becoming the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Breaking glass ceilings was something Justice O'Connor did many times throughout her life, competing in a male-dominated industry with equal amounts of grace and grit, and because of that, she inspired generations to follow in her footsteps.
She may have made blazing the trail look easy, but for female attorneys who would follow her path, what Justice O'Connor did was nothing short of heroic.
"I think every time someone succeeds that looks a little like you, that is certainly helpful in creating a situation that allows you to succeed," explains Jordan Rose, the founder and president of the Rose Law Group. "And that's a good thing."
In fact, for a young Jordan, who's behind Arizona's largest female-founded law firm, witnessing Justice O'Connor climb the highest legal mountains was a watershed moment.
"When I was 10 years old, the president appointed Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court and I remember watching that on TV and realizing that there was no difference between men and women and that there would be no difference in my life," Jordan explains. "I just knew the sky was the limit, there would be no limitations and I never thought there was a difference. And I think partially, that is because I saw there wasn't because of Sandra Day O'Connor."
Her legacy is also powerful to female partners at Rose Law Group, like Shruti Gurudanti.
"In the case of Sandra Day O'Connor, people were here like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and so on and so forth, and I absolutely do believe that I am here because I've been able to stand on the shoulders of these wonderful giants," Shruti explains. "I come from India, and while it is a democratic country, we do have certain restrictions on freedom of speech and so to me, her work and her commitment to this was extremely empowering."
Jordan adds Justice O'Connor should also be remembered for her immense talent in bringing people together and building consensus.
"She took her skills as a legislator to the court and she was able to opine powerfully, but also bring the justices and the public together, and that was really rare and a real gift."
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