Sarah Weddington was a proven leader in government at the national and state levels. From 1978 to 1981, she served as assistant to President Jimmy Carter, directing the Administration’s work on women’s issues and leadership outreach. As general counsel of the US Department of Agriculture in 1977 and the first woman to ever hold that position, she supervised more than 200 lawyers.
Ms. Weddington received numerous leadership honors and awards. In 2003, the Roe v. Wade decision was featured in TIME Magazine’s “80 Days That Changed the World.”
Weddington was featured in PBS and AOL’s MAKER’S: Women Who Make America series. MAKER’S is a historic video project exploring the compelling narratives of women who challenge, lead, and inspire. Built from an archive of extraordinary stories, a comprehensive and innovative three-hour documentary of the organized women’s movement aired on PBS in February 2013.
She was also an adjunct professor at The University of Texas in Austin, where she helped shape a new generation of leaders in her classes "Gender-Based Discrimination” and “Leadership in America."