Reproductive Rights
Willkie works on many pro bono matters to ensure access to reproductive care for all. Willkie is proud to have played a key role in significant cases focused on reproductive justice and continues efforts in this area during an ever-changing legal landscape, some of which are highlighted below.
In 2020, Willkie, the ACLU, and the ACLU of Tennessee brought the action, FemHealth v. Mt. Juliet (M.D. Tenn.), on behalf of carafem, a nonprofit provider of women’s reproductive healthcare services in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The lawsuit sought declaratory and injunctive relief on the grounds that a zoning ordinance banning surgical abortions would create an insurmountable obstacle for those seeking pre-viability abortions. The court issued the preliminary injunction. Mt. Juliet settled and agreed: (i) not to reinstate the ordinance or pass any similar zoning ordinance for one year; (ii) that no other existing or future zoning ordinance could impact carafem’s abortion services; and (iii) to pay Willkie attorneys’ fees (which Willkie donated to the ACLU).
Willkie has filed amicus briefs in reproductive rights cases before the Supreme Court, including in Dobbs v. Jackson, Doe v. Attorney General of Indiana, June Medical Services v. Russo, and Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole.
Willkie teams regularly conduct nationwide research related to obtaining and administering reproductive care.
Willkie attorneys successfully advocated for a woman who wished to cremate the fetal tissue she preserved after an abortion, which her abuser tried to block by exploiting a gap in California Law.
Willkie is a member of the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights, a nationwide coalition of law firms offering pro bono legal services to individuals seeking reproductive care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. Willkie is also a member of the Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice.