When I took Constitutional Law in law school, I found myself both often agreeing with but then frustrated by Justice O’Connor’s jurisprudence. I felt that she usually reached a correct (or at least defensible) result, but the balancing tests she created often could be argued to support a decision that went either way. The law loves a bright line, but Justice O’Connor loved a compromise. The life that led her to be that kind of thinker is detailed in Evan Thomas’s First, for which he was granted access to many family sources, as well as the expected interviews of friends and colleagues. What emerges is a portrait of a woman whose early years gave her a toughness, whose intelligence was innate and considerable, who had her ability to know when to charm and when to push honed by the political arena, and who never let go of her conviction that an attractive middle ground could be found on almost every issue.

Most people who are fans enough of O’Connor to pick up a book like this know at least the rough outlines of her life: childhood on the Lazy B ranch in Arizona, excellence at both Stanford undergraduate studies and law school being unrewarded with job offers suiting her skills after graduation, marriage to dynamic fellow attorney John O’Connor, motherhood, service in the Arizona Legislature, then moving up the judicial ladder to the Supreme Court, where she became the first female Supreme Court Justice. After decades on the bench, she left to spend more time with her husband, but his dementia was too far advanced to give them much time together before he needed more intense care than she was able to give. She championed the cause of civic engagement in her post-Court life until announcing her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis and taking a step back to live as a truly private citizen for the first time since she was a young woman.

I wanted this book to be more than it was, and perhaps my disappointment is my own fault for having expectations that it was never written to match. I was hoping for more psychological insight, more historical context…less a recitation of life details than a work that sought to explain her as a person and as a figure in the public imagination. To call First a mere catalogue of personal facts would be unfair. It’s clearly intensely researched, and the people Thomas spoke to and accessed records from would be the ones who would be able to provide a look into the human behind the dignified portrait we all know. But either they were unwilling to divulge information that might paint a fuller picture, or she was truly so private that few people knew her well enough to give it. What this makes for is a book heavy on the who, what, and when, but light on the why.

I’ll admit part of my opinion was shaped by my perception that Thomas has an ideological bent to his work. Obviously, O’Connor was a Republican, and Thomas seems to also have a conservative outlook. But when he announces early in the work that he believes her to be the kind of woman who would (this is a paraphrase) roll her eyes at the feminists of today and their objectives, it rankles. There is certainly a conversation to be had about the various waves of feminism and how their goals and methods have differed from/been in conflict with others, and O’Connor may or may not have even thought of herself as a feminist, but these and several other little editorial comments certainly irritated me while reading and made me wonder how well-rounded of a biography he was really seeking to create. In the end, if you want a thorough biography of the quietly trailblazing first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, you’ll find a lot here. If you want a more nuanced or complex look at the person she was though, I’d skip it.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I definitely do not agree with her politics and am not a republican, but this was an interesting read. This was a harder read than I thought it would be though, since our political views are so very different. It was still a decent read, that I think people would enjoy. It just wasn't the right read for me.

I thought this was a fantastic biography of a fascinating woman. It was well-researched and well-paced and I feel like I learned a lot about Sandra Day O'Connor and the world that she inhabited. I highly recommend this, especially to anyone who has a soft spot for Supreme Court history.

Biographies, Memoirs or Non-Fiction are (I think) a bit harder to read through. I have to have time to read these.

Reading this book about the first woman Supreme Court Justice was at first easy and a very interesting read. When the court cases started and these were mentioned in detail with lots of “Law talk”, I got a bit bored and skimmed the rest.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In an effort to push myself to read more non-fiction, I returned to my reading “roots.” Back in elementary school, I read every biography about a woman on the shelves in my school library. So I jumped at the chance, and was fortunate to receive, a copy of <First: Sandra Day O’Connor</i> through NetGalley just after publication several months ago. After racing through the first few chapters, it somehow got set aside and was recently unearthed. I am so glad it was not forgotten.

This look at the first female Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States was everything I had hoped – it was well written and informative and equally Interesting and inspiring. Not only did this book honor the work of Justice O’Connor but it brought to life the workings of our court system without inflammation. It has also added to my reading life and I will return to the biography shelves for future reading although, fortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to read every single one featuring a woman as I did way back when.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the biographical parts of this book. The insight into Sandra Day O'Connor's personality and relationships was interesting. However, once the book reached the point where she joined the Supreme Court, the details of the court cases got to be way too much. I didn't want to read a law review or law textbook and, at times, that is what this felt like. The stories about her life and family were well-written and interesting. The court case details were boring and I found myself skimming, if that, through much of those portions.

The following review was published in the July/August 2019 edition of the Florida Bar Journal, which can be found at https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/first-sandra-day-oconnor/.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s remarkable example of determination, deliberation, and moderation is always worth more reflection. Fortunately for us, Evan Thomas, a prolific author and two-time New York Times bestseller, brings his considerable talent to the new biography First, an accessible and personal portrait of one of the greats in American jurisprudence. It is worth your time.
This short book is as much a treatise on how to live as a professional as it is a biography of the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The author does an excellent job showing how her experience as the Majority Leader of the Arizona state senate and later state appellate judge informed her views on statutory construction, federalism, and separation of powers. For the legal junkies, there are the in-depth discussions on the political turmoil of the last century, the changing caselaw of the American legal system, and the internal intrigue of the largely cloistered judicial branch. But what makes First memorable is the use of stories and moments that examine the personal philosophy of arguably the most powerful woman in modern American history.
Throughout her life, Justice O’Connor balanced purposeful restraint and decisive action. A reader cannot help but appreciate Justice O’Connor’s deliberate word choice, which was never puffery and always on point. One such example is her frequent use of the word “attractive” to describe the inner beauty of individuals, ideas, and causes. Another admirable trait is O’Connor’s use of soft power in situations that are neither purely social nor purely professional, be it a cookout with her fellow state senators ahead of a legislative session or the aerobics courses she required her clerks to attend. Though she never engaged in “fights she deemed unnecessary,” Sandra Day O’Connor was competitive, methodical, and fierce when it came to the important ones. She played power politics on her own terms, and she played to win.
Well-researched and well-told, these stories touch on some of the challenges facing a woman in a profession that was, and still is, dominated by men. In no small part because of her example and effort, today’s U.S. Supreme Court can proudly claim three women.
Could someone like Sandra Day O’Connor would make it to the U.S. Supreme Court today? After all, she was known for her political pragmatism, her outside-the-Beltway nomination was made possible by a president standing up to the base of his political party, and her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate was based largely on the content of her character. After reading this attractive book, one hopes the answer is yes.

While we are big supporters of Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, there was another Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who was there First. In the new book First, author Evan Thomas takes readers through the life of Sandra Day O'Connor. From the early days of her life on a cattle ranch in Arizona to life in the highest court in the United States, O'Connor used her good sense, grace, and sense of humor to navigate the world of law and to stand her ground. Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the supreme court by Ronald Reagan in 1981 and spent a quarter century serving.  First is an enjoyable look at a woman who helped open the doors to the court for women.First is available May 20, 2019 from Random House.

First is the story of Sandra Day O'Connor, the FWOTSC (First Woman on the Supreme Court). Although she is the first and was a trailblazer, she does not have the cult status of Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG and SWOTSC). First was written based off extensive interviews with family and friends, access to private journals and court documents; it is well researched and well written.

It was interesting to learn of her early life and how it shaped her role in the future and on the court. It was particularly interesting to get a backstory on the rise of a Supreme Court justice - what their backgrounds are like, previous jobs they held, etc. It is painfully obvious about that they are chosen based off of their political backgrounds and affiliations, definitely not something the framers would have loved.

Also interesting is the inner look at the different justices and their interactions. They are not friends really at all, they are colleagues and acquaintances; they keep their distance, and at times do not like each other at all. It is a different feel than you might think. As the court is moving more and more to the right, we shall see how it all plays out.

Evan Thomas has written a biography of Sandra Day O’Connor that is well worth reading for many reasons. The title hints at the importance of her role as the first female Supreme Court Justice, but following her life story in many ways is to follow the part of United States history that occurs in her lifetime.

Born in El Paso in 1930, her life on a cattle ranch came at a time when girls were expected to grow up and settle into good marriages as gracious hostesses for ambitious husbands. She sets her sights on Stanford instead and graduates with high class rankings in her law school class only to face the fact that no law firm would interview her for a position since she was a woman.

The biography is an account of her finding a way to skirt the heavy glass ceiling to become the first female majority leader of a state senate, a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals, and finally the first female Supreme Court Justice. An amusing aside in the course of Reagan’s nomination to that court comes from Jim Baker’s account that concludes, “Nancy Reagan was on board. If she hadn’t been, we would not have done it.”

She appears to be the woman who can “have it all” as she entertains graciously first in their Arizona style home and then in Washington. Thomas describes her as having a mixture of elegance, wisdom, and toughness whether she is tending home fires or making difficult judicial decisions. For example, he quotes a New York Times article that pokes fun at government acronyms such as POTUS for the president and SCOTUS for the “nine men” who interpret the law. Sandra in her lighthearted letter to the editor says that for two years the court has not consisted of nine men and signs it FWOTSC for “first woman on the Supreme Court.” Her decisions strike a note of independent thought as she weighs them carefully rather than following a prescribed party line agenda.

Her husband John should get his due for his encouragement and support through her entire career. Their son Jay said of his father, “He walked away from a firm he loved, a city he loved, a practice he loved, and never gave it a second thought.” In their interviews with the author, their sons also supported the account that Sandra managed to give full support to her family as well as her career.

Evan Thomas gains authenticity with his research into first-hand accounts, journals of the participants, and interviews. This is a very good read, giving an authentic look at the life of the first female Supreme Court Justice as well as an interesting picture of the history that surrounded it and the workings of the court itself.

Sandra Day O'Connor is someone I have admired for quite some time. I think it is about time that there was a high quality book written about her considering that her name gets lost in the fuzz of "firsts" because she did come in under a Republican and that there have been many "firsts" since her time. But she is legendary and she broke such a thick glass ceiling by being the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court.

This book was written beautifully and I felt as though I could relate to it and enjoy it without being swamped in facts on fact. I will definitely be recommending to many of my political friends.

FIRST by Evan Thomas is a brand new biography of Sandra Day O'Connor, confirmed by a 99 – 0 vote as the first women Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Thomas, who has won awards for previous work, describes O'Connor's childhood on a ranch in Arizona as well as her student days. He shares information about how she and William Rehnquist dated and even discussed marriage. But what seems even more astounding today is that in the early 1950s O'Connor was not invited to interview with the big firms recruiting on the Stanford campus; that was despite being a Stanford Law Review editor and in the top 10 percent of her law school class.

Like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, O'Connor had a very supportive husband; she and John were married in 1952, had three sons, and were considered a "power couple" who gradually became more involved in Arizona politics and judicial system. Thomas provides details about O'Connor's time serving in the Arizona state Senate (eventually as Majority Leader) and as a judge at the state trial appellate level prior to her 1981 Supreme Court appointment. He argues that those early practical, political experiences influenced her subsequent decisions. Thomas indicates that O'Connor did work in an incremental, compromising manner to change discriminatory laws, but he also probes some controversies, including her rather tepid reaction to Roe v Wade and various related legislative proposals on abortion. FIRST is an extremely well-researched (including references to interviews with many of her clerks, friends and family members, plus Supreme Court records) and an engaging read, particularly for those interested in opportunities for women and the history of US jurisprudence during the second half of the 20th and the early 21st centuries. FIRST received a starred review from Library Journal.

Terrific biography of a truly inspirational woman. As a trailblazer in the field of law, she was faced with situations both personally and professionally, that tested her resilience. This book also showed how vital a team effort can be to make an individual successful. I love her application of the law in such a practical, rather than esoteric, hypothetical way. Her decisions really tried to consider the impact of how this would impact someone in real life. So many justices feel like they are making decisions in a legal vacuum, with the legal issues taking priority over the impact on people’s lives. She tried to keep both in mind.
Wonderfully researched and written book.
Highly recommend to all new professionals in any career fields.

#First #NetGalley

First is a beautiful biography of America's first woman Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. It tells about how she grew up and became the first woman justice. I loved this biography and highly recommend it to fans of history, biographies, and influential women.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Through NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Random House. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The book shares insight into O’Connor’s childhood, education, family, and career. It also addressed the challenges Sandra faced after graduating from law school. Sandra had to leave Lazy B when she was six to live with her maternal grandparents and go to school. The Lazy B roots will influence much of O’Connor’s life. Her children and family were always top priority to Sandra. The O’Connors had three sons and Sandra was able to successfully blend motherhood and a career. She was a strong-willed, intelligent, and humble woman.“

John O’Connor was not threatened by her “intellectual power” and very supportive of Sandra. John and Sandra had a good time together dancing, joking. “O’Connor loved amateur theatricals, both watching them and putting on her own skits with John.” In this book, I felt a clear understanding of John and Sandra’s relationship. The book touches on the impact to John when Sandra was appointed to the Supreme Court. He gave up his influential position in Phoenix and found a position in Washington. “The O’Connors’ closest friends saw the effort that John put into his role as husband of the Most Powerful Woman in America.”

She was the “first” at many things including “…the first female majority leader of a state senate in Arizona and U.S. Supreme Court.” Sandra mentored her clerks and was involved in their personal lives. She would walk away from fights she deemed unnecessary, while never shying away from the important ones. She knew when to tease, when to flatter, and when to punch…”

“O’Connor was the most powerful Supreme Court justice of her time.” For most of her 24+ years on the Court, she was the controlling vote on many of the great societal issues. Sandra had a close relationship with her law clerks. The clerks understood that they were undergoing more than legal training in her chambers.” The book frequently touched on an exercise class Sandra started for the interns (and anyone else who wanted) and herself to participate before the workday.

Once confirmed, “The justices, she was surprised to discover, rarely spoke to one another; they preferred to communicate by memo.” “,,,justices rarely spoke to each other outside of conference. Their chambers were “nine separate one-man law firms,” as one justice put it. With few exceptions, they did not visit each other or pick up the phone. Sandra was instrumental in changing this. Justice O’Connor “was more in sync with the public mood than her fellow justices.”

A great deal of the book addresses major cases before the Supreme Court and Sandra’s stand on the cases, including abortion, elections (Bush v. Gore), women’s rights. Often she was the “fifth vote.” Her childhood and background greatly influenced her decisions Book rolled right along but bogged down in the details of legal cases which may lose some readers. Ruth Bader Ginsburg joining the court is touched upon. “The two women were not natural pals… but … When Ginsburg was diagnosed with cancer in 1999, O’Connor was able to guide her through…” O’Connor’s influence on Ginsburg is discussed. The relationships and approaches with the other justices was shared. Sandra. “made it her business to get along with every justice…” “The reason this place was civil was Sandra Day O’Connor.” “The plight of women and children reached a deep place in O’Connor. So, too, the plight of minorities. But she continued to see no easy answer for the legacy of racism in society. Race, or rather racial preference, continued…”

Health issues were raised up: Sandra battled breast cancer. She fought this battle while on the Court and “returned to the Supreme Court … ten days after surgery.” During this time, the book shared her emotional turmoil but “hardly a pause in the O’Connors’ social calendar.” Sandra “…did not speak publicly about her cancer for six years.” John was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and in true Sandra form she took care of her husband much longer than most. She was very reluctant to have him in a facility.

She stepped down from the Supreme Court because “John needs me.” True to form, she chose her family over her career. She was actually modeling a balanced life… Make time for your family. Take care of yourself.” “Never complain, never explain,“ might be her motto.

The book ends indicating Sandra is now battling Alzheimer’s disease. I found this to be a well written book and very insightful of Sandra Day O’Connor. A lady I can admire.

Having admired Justice O'Connor for her legal mind and pioneering spirit, I greatly appreciated received the ARC of her biography. The only reason this was not a 5 star book for me was part of the judicial proceedings in the middle of the book. This part needed to be written to make the book complete, but wasn't as enjoyable for me as the rest. I hope this is well received by the public.

“First” is a in-depth biography of one of the most remarkable women in American history. In many ways, Justice O’Connor has not received the recognition she deserves for being such a groundbreaking figure. Based on over a hundred interviews with friends, family members, fellow justices, and almost all of her law clerks, First offers a wide sweeping portrait of O’Connor from her beginnings on a dusty Arizona ranch hours from the nearest city to her final years when she left the Court to care for her husband as he suffered from late-stage Alzheimer’s.

The first part of the book traces her early years in the Day Ranch as O’Connor grew up and formed her values. The story follows her to Stanford where she met and dated future Supreme Court Chief Justice Rehnquist. But, even graduating from a top university with stellar grades only garnered her job offers as a legal secretary, not as a lawyer. Their loss!

O’Connor worked her way from the bottom to become the Majority Leader of the Arizona Senate and then a judicial appointment to state court. Her struggles and success in the Arizona Legislature are detailed here but are not as compelling as the rest of her story.

The story then turns to what made her famous: her appointment to the Supreme Court by President Reagan. Like the Brethren, Evans details for us the inner workings of the High Court, but with O’Connor as the center hub of the story, not Brennan. Evans both humanizes O’Connor and her fellow justices. Major court decisions are discussed as are the inner court debates on how to decide the cases. The discussion is at a level which is complex enough to appeal to a legal audience and to lay readers as well (I think).

This biography is well-researched, well-detailed, and leaves one with an appreciation for what a remarkable person Justice O’Connor was and what a remarkable life she led.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

I couldn’t read this book fast enough, or slow enough. I wanted it to continue so I could learn even more about the fascinating life of the first woman Supreme Court Judge.

This book is so well researched! The details obtained information through diaries, articles, interviews with family and friends and each lending to a more concrete and established labor of live. I feel like I have a true picture into the life of Sandra Day O’Connor. I laughed, I cried, and I begged to be one of the clerks in SOC’s staff. This book introduced me to one of the most resilient women in America. While I will never carry the weight of her personal history and accomplishments, I am proud to be a woman who knows that doors have been opened for me because of her dedication, fearlessness, ability to be objective and to stand her ground in a man’s world.

FIRST - Sandra Day O’Connor

An inspiring and enlightening autobiography of a most amazing woman.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Sandra Day was born in 1930 in El Paso and grew up on a cattle ranch in Arizona. At a time when women were expected to be homemakers, she set her sights on Stanford University. She graduated near the top of her law school class in 1952, but no firm would even interview her. Sandra Day O’Connor’s story is that of a woman who repeatedly shattered glass ceilings—with a blend of grace, wisdom, humor, understatement, and toughness.

She became the first ever female majority leader of a state senate. As a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals, she stood up to corrupt lawyers and humanized the law. When she arrived at the United States Supreme Court, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, she began a quarter-century tenure on the Court, hearing cases that ultimately shaped American law. Diagnosed with cancer at fifty-eight, and caring for a husband with Alzheimer’s, O’Connor endured every difficulty with grit and poise.


REVIEW
Absolutely loved this authoritative and well-sourced autobiography of Sandra Day O’Connor, who became the most powerful woman in America. Sources include Supreme Court internal records, and interviews with O’Connor, and many of her clerks, friends and family. FIRST draws a fabulous portrait of her childhood, her personal life, and her twenty-five years on the bench.

The writing is superb. I cried when I read the explanation of her appointment to the Supreme Court, just as I had when she was actually appointed in 1981. I loved hearing about her thoughtful deliberations on the tough issues of discrimination and abortion. I laughed at the many funny stories of dancing, making jokes and having a good time. I enjoyed reading about her jovial husband John, and how he dealt with being married to the “most powerful woman” in America. I was captivated at many details of her relationships and interactions with the other justices.

Being from Florida, one of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter on Bush v. Gore. Not because I necessarily liked the outcome, but because I now finally understand the rationale behind it. FIRST is an inspiring and enlightening autobiography of an amazing woman. The book is smartly structured and is bounding with magnificent personal and professional details. Highly recommended.

Author Evan Thomas is the author of nine books including two NYT best sellers: John Paul Jones and Sea of Thunder. Thomas was a writer, correspondent, and editor for thirty-three years at Time and Newsweek, including ten years (1986–96) as Washington bureau chief at Newsweek, where, at the time of his retirement in 2010, he was editor at large.

Thanks to Netgalley, Evan Thomas and Random House for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Random House
Published March 19, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

For a big dose of inspiration, I highly recommend reading this book, though I must admit I felt like an underachiever! I suspected Sandra Day O’Connor had impeccable credentials and connections in order to be appointed the first woman on the Supreme Court, but never would have imagined the hurdles she climbed to get there. She beat great odds as ‘only 300 of more than 8,700 judges in the United States were women (and only 8 of 520 federal judges)’.

The first chapters introduce Sandra growing up on her family’s huge Lazy B ranch, working as hard as any of its male ranch hands. Her father was a tough nut but also Sandra’s biggest supporter. How she was raised seems to have played a significant role in building her strong and disciplined character.

Fresh out of Stanford, Sandra was unable to find work in a law practice despite her already significant achievements, the partners’ beliefs that only men could be capable lawyers. She was offered a job as a secretary instead! She eventually found work as a deputy district attorney and worked her way up the corporate ladder. Her resume is impressive, the unwavering support and love of her family incredible.

Sandra was a true pioneer, forging uncharted territory through smarts, hard work and lots of relationship building. Her ideas could be called radical for the times yet spot on perfect, eventually earning well-deserved respect at the highest levels of government. She made significant contributions pre-and post- Supreme court, and her Supreme Court record was impeccable. Sandra seemed to not only care about the rule of the law, but she cared about people and was meticulous in her research to arrive at opinions. Her story is so compelling. Sadly, she was diagnosed with dementia in 2018.

*Will post in online venues upon publication