American University Experts Discuss the Legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor

What:

Experts from American University are available to discuss the life and legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

When:

December 1, 2023 - ongoing

Where:

Zoom, FaceTime, in-person

Background:

American University experts who are available for comments:

Amy Dacey is Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Policy at American University. For more than two decades, she managed prominent national organizations, advised leading elected officials and candidates, including President Barack Obama and Senator John Kerry, and counseled a variety of nonprofits and companies. During the 2016 presidential election, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Democratic National Committee. During the 2004 elections, she worked for then-Senator John Kerry on his presidential campaign and, following his narrow loss, helped to lead Kerry’s political operation. She also managed Rep. Louise Slaughter’s congressional campaign in 1998. Ms. Dacey can comment on Sandra Day O’Connor’s service to civic education and the way she sought collaboration in the court. 

Elizabeth Earle Beske is an associate professor of law at the Washington College of Law at American University. After graduating from Columbia University Law School, she clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States Supreme Court and Judge Patricia M. Wald of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In recent years, she has worked as a consultant specializing in appellate writing. Beske can comment on federal courts, constitutional law and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s legacy.  

Betsy Fischer Martin is an Emmy-winning journalist and former TV news executive. She is the Executive Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University and a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs, where she teaches courses on campaigns and elections. During her earlier career in television journalism, she spent 23 years at NBC News serving as the longtime Executive Producer of Meet the Press with Tim Russert and as the Managing Editor of NBC News Political Programming. Fischer Martin can comment on how Justice O’Connor challenged traditional gender roles by demonstrating that women could attain the highest levels of influence and decision-making in this country.

Jessica Waters is a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs and has also taught at the Washington College of Law. Her research focuses primarily on reproductive rights law and questions related to the legal impact of women’s medical decisions during pregnancy and childbirth, employment-based conscience protections for reproductive health care providers, and the reproductive rights of employees working for religiously affiliated employers. She can discuss Sandra Day O’Connor’s legacy in the context of the reproductive rights debate.