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Makers: Women Who Make America

Sandra Day O'Connor

Turned down by law firms who refused to hire women, Sandra Day O'Connor embarked on a distinguished prosecutorial career that led her to the Arizona Court of Appeals and, in 1981, to her appointment as the first woman ever to sit on the United States Supreme Court. She played a powerful role on the Court: she was famous for often casting the pivotal vote in narrowly decided cases.

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