To see additional information about Justice O'Connor and the Cornell Law School go to the online Press Kit.
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will visit Cornell Law School as its Distinguished Jurist in Residence from October 21 through October 23, 2007. In announcing the visit, Stewart J. Schwab, the Allan R. Tessler Dean and Professor of Law and a former law clerk for Justice O'Connor, remarked that “Justice O’Connor’s extraordinary life in the law began long before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court and has definitely not ended with her retirement. She continues to serve as a beacon on important issues of the day and the Law School is honored that she will be here to share her wisdom and insights with the Cornell and Ithaca communities. We are delighted to be hosting her as a Distinguished Jurist in Residence.”
Justice O'Connor will begin her visit by being one of the judges of the Law School's Cuccia Cup Moot Court Competition on Sunday evening. Monday will be spent in various meeting with members of the Law School community, culminating that day with a dialogue on Women in Leadership with the University Provost, Carolyn (Biddy) Martin. Tuesday starts with Justice O'Connor meeting local students at Ithaca High School. The day ends with the Milton Konvitz Memorial Lecture at Bailey Hall during which Justice O'Connor will speak on "The Importance of an Independent Judiciary.” Details are forthcoming on access to tickets for the Konvitz lecture (the other events are by invitation only).
Justice O’Connor and Dean Schwab will also present a faculty workshop spotlighting an article they are co-authoring on what affirmative action might look like in 25 years. The springboard for this is Justice O’Connor’s opinion for the Supreme Court in the Grutter v. Bollinger case, which held that the law school at the University of Michigan had a compelling interest in the “educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body” which justified consideration of race in admissions. In a part of that opinion that has been the subject of intense debate and commentary, Justice O’Connor stated that “[t]he court expects that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.”
The Law School’s Distinguished Jurist in Residence program was initiated in 2005 and brings some of the nation’s foremost judges to Cornell Law School, providing public opportunities for them to address the Cornell and Ithaca communities as well as occasions for more intimate discussions with students and faculty members. Past Distinguished Jurists in Residence include Judge Robert Katzmann and Judge Richard Wesley, both of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Sandra Day O'Connor,