The O'Connor Effect: Justice Sandra Day OC'onnor's Influence on Judicial Diversity.

President Reagan's nomination of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's nomination as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court was historic in many ways. As a justice who served for over 20 years, Justice O'Connor proved to be a critical voice on a number of legal issues, particularly as she became the median justice toward the end of her tenure. As the first woman on the Supreme Court, she also seemed to symbolize the beginning of new opportunities for women and others who had largely been left out of the political system, at least in terms of representation. In fact, some have asserted that her elevation to the Court may have led to greater numbers of women and other political minorities being selected to lower courts throughout the land. In this paper, we test that conventional wisdom. In particular, what influence - if any - did Justice O'Connor's nomination have on judicial diversity in the federal courts? As women and other political minorities continue to gain seats on the American judiciary, did her nomination represent a watershed for gender and racial diversity in the courts? Employing a dataset we compiled on judicial diversity in the federal Courts of Appeals and District Courts, we find that Justice O'Connor's appointment did indeed lead to more women in the federal judiciary. Interestingly, the influence of her nomination seems limited to women, but did not carry over to racial and ethnic minorities. Thus, we do find the influence of an "O'Connor Effect," though it is more nuanced and complex than simply asserting that her historic appointment reverberated throughout the judiciary. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]