Parrish moderates Justice O'Connor panel ahead of 40th anniversary, Arizona PBS premiere

Arizona-raised retired United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (left), the first woman appointed to the high court 40 years ago, is the subject of a new Arizona PBS documentary and panel discussion moderated by Mi-Ai Parrish.

MAP Strategies Group CEO Mi-Ai Parrish moderates a panel Sept. 8 on the indelible Arizona legacy and lasting impact Sandra Day O'Connor has had on the state and nation on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

The milestone and discussion coincides with the Arizona PBS release of “American Experience Sandra Day O'Connor: The First,” which premieres Monday, Sept. 13.

“Justice O'Connor's work and influence means so much to women everywhere, and to me personally as a friend and mentor,” says Parrish, a member of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute for American Democracy’s board of directors. “Women executives and leaders have advanced considerably since she was nominated by President Reagan and sworn in by Chief Justice Burger in 1981, and her opinions and writings have paved the way for those of us who have followed.”

The documentary traces O'Connor's early Arizona roots with parents Harry and Ada Mae Day on a cattle ranch in southeastern Arizona without electricity or running water, recounting the life of a pioneering, self-reliant woman who graduated top of her class at Stanford, thrived as a practicing attorney and judge, raised three sons, and rose to the highest court in the land. Her grit and intellect both reflected and shaped what was until then a decidedly male-dominated profession and era.

Parrish, who also serves as the Managing Director of Media Enterprise at Arizona State University, leads the conversation ahead of the sneak preview of “The First” in the First Amendment Forum at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix, home of Arizona PBS.

Learn more about the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute for American Democracy, and visit Arizona PBS.