(CBS News) Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed by President Reagan to be the first female justice to serve on highest court in the U.S. in 1981 -- she joined "CBS This Morning" on Monday as part of "Eye-Opening Women," a Women's History Month series.
Justice O'Connor recently released a revealing book about the Supreme Court, "Out of Order," and admitted she missed the "in a way" but explained that she had been there for a considerable amount of time -- 25 years -- and allowed that "it's a lot of hard work."
These days, she is focusing on iCivics, an new initiative to bring civics back to American public schools in order to create a generation of engaged citizens.
"Our country has stopped teaching civics to young people and I think that is unacceptable," she said of the program.
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Historians and modern-day legislators have referred to O'Connor as one of the most important women in American history, but O'Connor rebuffed the high praise, saying "I don't accept that grandiose statement. I would like [my legacy] to be that I was the first woman to serve on the court and I did a decent job."
As to whether or not she did a "more than decent" job, she added, "that's for others to decide."
O'Connor also spoke of her close relationship with the late Justice William Rehnquist -- and their bridge games together -- and gifted CBS This Morning's Charlie Rose her "most treasured possession."
Watch the video about to find out what it was and hear more from O'Connor.
