Justice O'Connor

Imagine graduating at the top of your Stanford Law class and beingdenied from every job to which you applied. Now, imagine you're JusticeSandra Day O'Connor. Do the images line up?

To get her foot in the door, Justice O' Connortook her first job as San Mateo deputy county attorney--for no pay. Yesterday, she discussed that and more at Wiley Rein.It's "pretty astonishing" to see three women sitting on the Court, Justice O'Connor says: the same number were in her entire law school class. She covered topics ranging from her new book (Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court), to growing up on a cattle ranch out West, to which Supreme Court justice she dated long before either was on the Court (see below). We snapped her flanked above by Dick Wiley,Andrew McBride, managing partnerPeter Shields, andBert Rein. Andrewclerked for O'Connor while she was the only woman on the Court.

Justice O'Connor's book covers stories from the history of the High Court. A few of her own from last night:

Televised SCOTUS arguments: She thinks it will come only with a unanimous vote from the justices and doesn't see movement for that any time soon.

Justice Byron White: The first time the former NFL player(who once lead the league in rushing yards) shook her hand, the pain from his tight grip sent O'Connor into tears.Since the justices all shake hands each time they gather, she learned to grab around his thumb instead.

The highest court in the land: Justice O'Connor contributed to installing the new floor forthe basketball court above the Supreme Court. She also started a women's aerobics class in the gym there that still exists.

For the event, Andrew interviewed O'Connor--and he may be able to show Jon Stewart, who recently had her on The Daily Show, a thing or two. As for O'Connor'spast Supreme Court sweetheart, it was Chief Justice Rehnquist, back when both served on the Stanford Law Review. (She says they enjoyed taking in a movie or a game of bridge.)

We spotted Wiley Rein insurance chair Dan Standish with CNA Insurance Companies' David Perry and Erin Finn(and their autographed books).

Justice O'Connor's latest initiative isiCivics.org, a website with games to teach kids how government works. She says it's grown to19 different games. She brought a full house to the firm's event. It happened to include many women, but the Justice's advice to females who find themselves often the only ones in the room was "Don't be scared to contribute."

Wiley Rein's Matt Dowd, John Wyss, and Brian Pandya.Matt wrote and filed an amicus brief on behalf ofNobel Laureate Dr.James Watson (who co-discovered DNA's double helix) in the upcoming Supreme Court case on gene patents,Myriad. The oral argument will be heard on April 15.