First woman to preside over Supreme Court oral arguments

On February 22, 2005, during oral arguments in Kelo v. City of New London, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman ever to preside over Supreme Court oral arguments.

On that day, both Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens were absent, and O’Connor, as the next in seniority, took the center chair and presided. Although she had long been an influential associate justice, the act of gaveling the Court into session and directing the flow of argument was symbolically powerful in an institution historically led by men.

Her presiding role occurred in the context of Kelo, a controversial case concerning the use of eminent domain for economic development. While the Court ultimately ruled 5–4 in favor of the city, O’Connor dissented, warning that the decision would allow the powerful to exploit the weak by transferring property from those with fewer resources to those with more.

This milestone underscored not only her seniority and respect among colleagues but also the normalization of women’s leadership at the very apex of the judiciary. It represented another barrier broken: a woman not just sitting on the Court, but literally presiding over its most public and consequential function. The image of O’Connor in the Chief Justice’s seat has become part of the visual history of women’s advancement in American law.