Today in Supreme Court History: September 21, 1981

9/21/1981: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is confirmed by the Senate, 99-0.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Comments

[Moderation4ever]

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was a class act before, during and after her years on the US Supreme Court. People will point to her as the first woman appointed to SCOTUS. It should also be noted that she was the last justice to have serve in elected office. That experience of running for office gave her as much diversity as being a woman. She seemed to know both the law and to understand the impact of the Courts ruling. Something that might be missing today.

[kimoser22]

Is it impossible for a justice to be confirmed 99-0 ever again? How long and how much would have to change for that to happen?

[F.D. Wolf]

Three of President Reagan's four Court appointees were confirmed unanimously by the Senate: Sandra Day O'Connor (99-0), Antonin Scalia (98-0), and Anthony Kennedy (97-0), the last nominees to date to be unanimously confirmed. Reagan, of course, also made the last nomination to date to be formally rejected by the Senate, Robert Bork (42-58).

The rejection of Bork was immediately followed by the unanimous confirmation of Kennedy. The Senate's last previous rejection of a nominee, President Nixon's nomination of G. Harrold Carswell (45-51) was likewise followed immediately by the unanimous confirmation of Harry Blackmun (94-0).