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№ 2004.011 — Stanford University — Commencement keynote
Sandra Day O’Connor
U.S. Supreme Court justice
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Sandra Day OConnor at Stanford, 2004
A commencement address about unexpected paths, public service, civic responsibility, and stewardship of justice.
- 01 Stanford path
- 02 Closed doors
- 03 Persistence
- 04 Law
- 05 Listening
- 06 Public service
- 07 Civic trust
- 08 Justice stewardship
Path
Unexpected doors
OConnor frames professional life as a path of persistence through doors that may not open easily.
Limited opportunities test resolve.
Closed doors can redirect without ending the journey.
Education becomes portable strength.
Law
Institutions need people
Law and civic institutions are presented as human structures that require trust, service, and participation.
Justice is maintained by people, not abstractions.
Public life depends on confidence in fair process.
Legal skill carries civic responsibility.
Judgment
Listen before deciding
Judging becomes a discipline of humility, attention, and principled disagreement.
Authority requires restraint.
Understanding comes before judgment.
Democracy needs principled conflict.
Charge
Strengthen the common life
Graduates are urged to use education to build communities, protect institutions, and practice responsible citizenship.
Professional achievement should serve public life.
Institutions need renewing participation.
Justice is inherited work.
Transcript
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