GAINESVILLE -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor told a University of Florida law school audience Friday about the importance of judicial independence, but did not discuss any of the big issues facing the court -- the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the nomination of John Roberts to replace him or her own delayed retirement.

O'Connor spoke at the dedication of the new, $25 million Lawton Chiles Legal Information Law Center at the University of Florida's Frederic G. Levin College of Law.

"The system breaks down without judicial independence," O'Connor said.

The 75-year-old justice, who announced her retirement in July, told the crowd of about 500 law school faculty, students and judges that she is opposed to politicians and others pushing judicial reforms for political gain.

She said some justices and judges have had their lives threatened, including Florida Circuit Judge George Greer, who decided the case of Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who died earlier this year after a bitter legal battle between her husband and parents.

"I am against judicial reform driven by nakedly partisan, result-oriented reasons," O'Connor said. "The experience of developing countries, former communist countries and our own political culture teaches us that we must be ever vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary into adopting their own preferred policies."

Without naming names, she faulted politicians from both parties for not understanding judicial independence.

"We have the power to make the other branches of government really angry," she said.

The new 100,000-square-foot library, which honors Lawton Chiles, a U.S. senator and governor who died in 1998, is now the largest law library in the Southeast.

It includes a reading room dedicated in honor of former University of Florida president and former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, Stephen C. O'Connell; more than 300 student workstations equipped with wireless Internet access; and more than 600,000 volumes. Students will also have access to about 3.5 million volumes in University of Florida libraries as well as databases that provide access to federal and state laws, periodicals, news articles and background materials.

Florida's law school has about 1,300 students and about 100 faculty members.

O'Connor announced her retirement July 1, but promised to remain on the court until her replacement is chosen and confirmed. President Bush first nominated Roberts to replace her on the court. But after last weekend's death of Rehnquist, Bush nominated Roberts for the chief justice post&

O'Connor graduated third out of a class of 102 at Stanford University's law school and was a classmate of Rehnquist, who was first in the class.

She has been a crucial vote on landmark rulings ranging from ones regarding abortion to the disputed presidential election of 2000, where she ruled with the majority that handed Bush the election.

Appointed by President Reagan to replace Potter Stewart, she was confirmed in 1981 by a 99-0 Senate vote.

In 1992, O'Connor voted to uphold the 1973 decision legalizing abortion, calling it "a rule of law and a component of liberty we cannot renounce."

In the 1980s, O'Connor was the crucial vote when the court upheld affirmative action policies on the nation's college campuses&