Born in Heidelberg, Germany, and spending many of her formative years in Savannah, Georgia, Justice Leah Ward Sears is a woman of firsts.

First Woman Fulton County Superior Court Judge. First Woman in Georgia to win a statewide contested election. First Woman Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. First. First. First.

A giant among jurists, she also made the short list twice for the United States Supreme Court. But how? How did a woman born into an era where the skills and abilities of women were routinely considered inferior to those of their male counterparts accomplish so many historically significant firsts? Was it purely serendipity? Not at all.

In this episode of the Women Trailblazers Series, Justice Sears discusses with Host Ebony Phillips, the triumphs, challenges, and lessons she learned on her journey to becoming the first. As an added bonus, she also shares the advice that she would have given her “25-year-old self.”

Tune in!