Author Jodi Picoult and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Over the past few weeks, I was able to attend two events that involved two women I greatly admire.

The first was Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite fictional authors. I bought tickets to her speaking engagement online, and made my way over to the Sidwell Friends School after work on March 4th. I got there early, and was rewarded with a seat in the front row! Unfortunately, photography was not permitted at the event, but I was able to witness Jodi read a passage from her new book, The Storyteller, and explain how she conducts her extensive research for each new story. Jodi also allotted some of her speaking time to a representative from the Department of Justice who helped her document the process of prosecuting a war criminal throughout the writing of her most recent novel. While I chose not to purchase a book and wait in line for the book signing, I enjoyed the speaking event immensely, and passed the knowledge and experience on to other Jodi Picoult fans in my life.

The second event I attended, this one on March 18th, involved former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The event was scheduled for my first day back to work after Spring Break, so it was a great thing to look forward to! The crowd to see Sandra Day O’Connor was even larger than the one to see Jodi Picoult, and I had to wait in a line outside of the venue in the rain to pick up my ticket, but it was all worth it when Sandra Day O’Connor finally made her way to the stage just a few minutes late. While the focus of some of her speaking was on her new book, Out of Order, she spent the majority of her time elaborating on her law school experience, the obstacles she faced early in her career, and how she overcame them with time. As an aspiring law school student and attorney, this was very relevant to me, so I paid close attention. I was also very inspired by her account of her work since she retired from the Supreme Court, which involves efforts to engage more children in civics and the study of government. 

I think DC is the only place that would attract these two very different and very successful women to speak within a few weeks of each other. I’m very glad I was here for these two events this semester and was able to attend.

-Erika