Narrator:

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is the first woman ever to serve on the nation’s highest court. Today, Justice O’Connor gives us her views on current issues and helps us understand the importance of the American judicial system.

Justice O’Connor:

When this country decided to try to break away from the British Empire and set up its own country, the decision was made early on to try to draft a constitution for the United States.

Narrator:

The U.S. Constitution is one the most enduring documents in all of history. It was written at a time when political power was exercised exclusively by kings and the aristocracy. The thought that a nation’s power could come from the people through a system of government designed specifically for that purpose was truly revolutionary.

Justice O’Connor:

And we had some colonies in those days that later became states. We had 13 of them and the problem was how to meld together the colonies, each of which had features of independence, into one functioning national unit.

Narrator:

In the late 1700s, America was not united. The 13 separate colonies, each with its own laws and governments, disagreed on many, many issues. But they all realized one important point: Unless they cooperated with each other for mutual benefit and protection, the new United States, at the time a weak and vulnerable country, would not survive.

Justice O’Connor:

The states had had a kind of agreement under which they operated for a brief period of time, but it was not satisfactory and the framers decided to try to do a better job. They all got together in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they closed the doors. They didn’t admit any press, any visitors, and they all tried to come up with the fundamental rules for our new form of government in the United States.

Narrator:

Over 200 years, after being changed, or amended, 27 times, the U.S. Constitution remains the supreme law of the land. The document was created to act as a framework for making laws — which means that it sets out the broad principles, the values and spirit of the nation, and the rights of citizens. Those principles, written in clear, simple language, are the standard upon which all U.S. laws are based.

Justice O’Connor:

Our whole constitution can be reprinted in a little pamphlet that fits right in your pocket or your purse. I carry one with me always — and it’s fabulous.