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GREENSBORO — When asked by an Elon law student what new lawyers could do to be viewed in a more trustworthy manner, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor  replied without hesitation.

“Do a darn good job and be fair and honest,” she said Monday afternoon during a talk at Elon Law School.

O’Connor, the first female member of the U.S. Supreme Court, offered straightforward advice to the future lawyers, drawing on humor, her 25  years of experience on the court and her service in all three branches of government in Arizona.

Law school dean George Johnson Jr.  asked O’Connor questions, and students also had a chance to query her on the qualities of a good judge, the judicial branch’s relationship with other branches of government and how to even the playing field for women in the law profession.

“It had a good balance of direction and real input from us,” said third-year law student John Hester  of O’Connor’s talk, “and real output from her.”

Despite her stellar performance at Stanford University Law School, O’Connor said she was unable to get a job because of firms’ reluctance to hire a woman. One firm offered her a job as a legal secretary “only if I could type,” O’Connor said.

She would go on to work for free, handling legal research projects in a California county attorney’s office before eventually landing a paid position. She urged students who didn’t immediately find jobs to follow a similar course and make something happen for themselves.

She also encouraged them to be active public servants, something O’Connor said she always enjoyed.

“You learn by doing how to get things done,” she said. “You can be a volunteer in so many ways.”

She retired in 2006 but has stayed busy with two projects she discussed with the law students. One is her push to keep civics in the classroom. She cited a study that said barely a third of Americans can name the levels of government, much less explain what they do.

“You don’t just inherit this,” she said. “Half of our states no longer teach civics for high school graduation. It’s not a requirement.”

O’Connor has started a Web site, www.ourcourts.org,  that teaches civics lessons to middle school students with the help of games.

“They love the games, and they don’t even know they’re learning,” said O’Connor, adding that she hopes to get the Web site used in middle school classrooms in all 50 states.

O’Connor also spoke about her desire to see more states move to appointing judges based on merit instead of electing them. She has spoken in many states considering the change, and said the United States is the only country in the world that elects its judges.

“We’re just way out in left field on this,” she said.

O’Connor dedicated the Elon Law School in 2006.

Prior to speaking there on Monday, O’Connor helped celebrate longtime friend Bonnie McElveen-Hunter’s  receipt of the Thornton H. Brooks Leadership Award  at the annual Community Foundation luncheon at the Empire Room. McElveen-Hunter is the founder and CEO  of Pace Communications.

O’Connor was originally scheduled to speak in Greensboro in November , but the event was postponed due to the death of her husband.
 

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 373-7080 or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com