American Experience’s new film, Sandra Day O'Connor: The First, premieres Monday, September 13 at 9/8c on PBS. 

About the film: When Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor as the Supreme Court’s first female justice in 1981, the announcement dominated the news. Time Magazine’s cover proclaimed “Justice At Last,” and she received unanimous Senate approval. But the road was not easy. After graduating near the top of her class at Stanford Law School, O'Connor could not convince a single law firm to interview her, so she turned to volunteer work and public service. A Republican, she served two terms in the Arizona state senate, then became a judge on the state court of appeals. During her 25 years on the Supreme Court, O’Connor was the critical swing vote on cases involving some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues, including race, gender and reproductive rights — and she was the tiebreaker on Bush v. Gore. Forty years after her confirmation, this biography recounts the life of a pioneering woman who both reflected and shaped an era.

Extended Teaser - a two-minute trailer setting up the story of Sandra Day O'Connor.

Sisters in Law - A look at the relationship between Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justices who found common ground despite their differences.