"When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As a state court judge, it never would have occurred to me to do so, and when I got to the Supreme Court, it was very much the same. We just didn't do it"
- Sandra Day O'Connor
About this Quote
In this quote, previous Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor reflects on her experience in law school and as a state court judge. She discusses that throughout her time in law school, which she refers to as the "dark ages," they never considered looking beyond their own borders for legal precedents. This implies that they just took a look at previous cases within their own country for guidance and did not consider the laws and decisions of other nations. O'Connor likewise keeps in mind that this mindset continued when she ended up being a state court judge and even when she reached the Supreme Court. This reveals the restricted perspective and absence of international awareness in the legal field throughout that time.
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