Independent Judiciary

Twenty-five years ago this week, Sandra Day O'Connor took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first woman ever on that bench. Her tenure on the Court was marked by her pivotal role in decisions on abortion, affirmative action and the 2000 Presidential election. Last January, she retired, at 75, to spend time with her husband John, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. But she told TIME's Jeff Chu that retirement has been anything but relaxing — "I'm looking at my calendar," she said, "and it's endless" — filled with travel, advocacy for her pet causes and regular reunions with her colleagues on the Court. Here are excerpts from their conversation.

TIME: Let's talk about retirement.

O'Connor: I need to retire from retirement.

TIME: It's that relaxing?

O'Connor: It's just a nightmare. (Laughs) I just talked to a friend of mine who said, "I need to send you a plaque for your wall that says, 'No is a complete sentence.'" I think she's right. That simple two-letter word would save me a lot of trouble.

TIME: What are you saying yes to?

O'Connor: Too many things — and they come at you one at a time, so you aren't aware of how it's building. Cumulatively, it's kind of a nightmare. I've agreed to too many speeches. These are things I've agreed to a year or two ahead. You say, 'Oh, sure, I'll come to your conference,' or 'I don't mind making remarks on X,' and all of a sudden it's there. And in the meantime you've agreed to something the day before or the day after, and they're in different places. I'm on several boards, and so it's difficult to fit it all in.

More