'A terrific first.' Remembering Sandra Day O'Connor with historian Linda Hirshman

This week, the country has said its final goodbyes to the first woman to ever sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

To mark Sandra Day O'Connor's historical life, The Gaggle is sharing in-depth interviews with those that knew her. Yesterday we heard from her biographer, Evan Thomas. Today, we’ll hear from Linda Hirshman, a lawyer, cultural historian, and author of many books – including the 2016 “Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World.”

Hirshman sat down in the Gaggle studios in spring 2022 with then Gaggle host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez. 

For Hirshman, O’Connor is something of a complicated figure. In her words, O’Connor opened the door for extreme conservatism to enter the highest court in the land. At the same time, O’Connor was a defender of moderation, and believed strongly in nonpartisanship when it came to interpreting the law. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices