May 02, 2023
Envisioning a Future for Reproductive Rights
We are committed to training the reproductive law and policy leaders of tomorrow, while empowering the advocates and scholars of today. By creating a trusted hub on the West Coast for local and national convenings, the Center engages academics, community members, and practitioners to reimagine the landscape of reproductive health, law, and policy.
Reproductive health and rights are under attack in every branch and level of government. States are rushing to pass laws that further restrict access to reproductive health care, such as contraception and abortion. These laws have already limited access to care, especially among poor and low-income women, and are ultimately designed to strip Americans of some of their most basic rights. Restrictions on Title X funding have already begun to reduce access to family planning programs across the country. And federal and state governments are creating religious and moral exemptions to anti-discrimination laws that threaten to deny access to contraception, abortion, and other fundamental health care services.
Given these attacks and the drastically changing landscape of reproductive rights in the nation, the need for scholars, policymakers and advocates who are focused on advancing reproductive health, law, and policy could not be more pressing. Founded in 2021 through a budget allocation from the state of California, the UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy is an interdisciplinary, national academic research center designed to bridge this gap. The Center is dedicated to training the next generation of reproductive health and rights leaders, while producing research-informed strategies to transform current debates. The Center amplifies UCLA Law’s current work on reproductive health, law, and policy and builds capacity by attracting new leaders, scholars, and students.
Projects
Join us!
UCLA Law has many ways to engage in reproductive health, law, and policy.
Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice
Bringing together the legal profession to support reproductive rights.
If/When/How Student Group
Educating the UCLA Law community about the legal dimensions of reproductive justice.
Reproductive Rights and Justice Seminar
Examining in all areas of reproductive rights.
Pro Bono Opportunities
Supporting a vibrant pro bono culture at UCLA School of Law.
Events: Is the Age of Roe v. Wade Over?
A Conversation on the Long Legal Fight over Abortion with Cary Franklin.
Who We Are
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Staff
Cary Franklin
Cary Franklin is the McDonald/Wright Chair of Law at UCLA and the Faculty Director of the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy and the Williams Institute, where she writes and teaches in the areas of constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, and legal history. Her work focuses on the development of conceptions of equality in American law and how this history influences the shape of contemporary legal protections in the contexts of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and race.Lara Stemple
Lara Stemple is the Director of Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice (SoCal LARJ) and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and International Student Programs at UCLA School of Law, where she oversees the law school’s LL.M. (masters) and S.J.D. (doctoral) degree programs. Stemple teaches and writes in the areas of human rights, global health, gender, sexuality, and incarceration.Sapna Khatri
Sapna Khatri is the Sears Clinical Law Teaching Fellow for 2021-2024 at UCLA School of Law, the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy and the Williams Institute. Her research takes an intersectional approach exploring the discriminatory impact of new technology and barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. Sapna joined the Center from the ACLU of Illinois where she initially served as a Staff Attorney on the Women’s and Reproductive Rights Project, and later served as Advocacy and Policy Counsel on Privacy, Technology and Surveillance matters.Cathren Cohen
Cathren Cohen (she/her) is a Staff Attorney with the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and policy and the Williams Institute at UCLA Law, where her work focuses on sexual and reproductive rights. Cohen previously served as a Staff Attorney with the National Health Law Program, where she engaged in policy and administrative advocacy to advance access to high-quality health care for low-income and underserved individuals, and a Law Fellow with Lambda Legal, where she advocated for the rights of LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care and opposed efforts to use religion as a license to discriminate.Jaclyn Serpico
Jaclyn Serpico (she/her) is a post-graduate fellow at CRHLP and received her JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2022; she also holds an MA in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and an MPH with a concentration in Health Behavior & Health Promotion. As a law student, she interned on the Public Policy, Litigation and Law team at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and on the Federal Policy and Advocacy Team at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Areas in which she has worked extensively include state judicial bypass laws and FDA regulation of mifepristone for medication abortion. She was the founding president of Moritz’s If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice chapter and served as a student board fellow on the board of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. While in graduate school her master’s thesis research focused on barriers to IUD access in OhioKennedy Willis
Kennedy Willis is a post-graduate fellow at CRHLP and is a 2022 graduate of UCLA School of Law and has worked in various roles to support an array of public interest efforts including school reproductive health services overseen by NYC’s Department of Public Health & Mental Hygiene, Zone 126’s community school vision in Queens, New York, and the St. Catherine University's Abigail Q. McCarthy Center for Women's mission to affirm and foster women's dignity and intellectual development. Kennedy’s interest in expanding access to and application of knowledge, resources, bodily integrity, and voluntary consent aligns with CRHLP’s commitment to reproductive justice.Carley Towne
Carley is the Programs & Communications Coordinator for the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy. Carley has over 4 years of experience working for reproductive justice and feminist nonprofits. Her previous roles included federal, state, and municipal policy advocacy as well as community outreach. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2016 with a degree in Critical Gender Studies and Political Science. -
Law School Affiliated Faculty
Cary Franklin
McDonald/Wright Chair of Law
Faculty Director of the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy
Faculty Director of the Williams InstituteRobert Bradley Sears
Associate Dean of Public Interest Law
Rand Schrader Distinguished Scholar of Law & Policy, The Williams Institute
Founding Executive Director, The Williams InstituteSapna Khatri
Sears Clinical Teaching FellowLara Stemple
Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and International Student ProgramsKate Mackintosh
Executive Director, Promise Institute for Human RightsLaToya Baldwin Clark
Assistant Professor of LawKimberlé W. Crenshaw
Distinguished Professor of Law
Promise Institute Chair in Human RightsLaura E. Gómez
Professor of Law
Rachel F. Moran Endowed Chair in LawJill R. Horwitz
David Sanders Professorship in Law and Medicine
Professor of Public Affairs (by courtesy)
Founding Faculty Director, Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits
Vice Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life (2019-2021)Russell Korobkin
Interim Dean
Richard C. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of LawSeana Shiffrin
Professor of Philosophy
Pete Kameron Professor of Law and Social JusticeAdam Winkler
Connell Professor of LawJessica Peake
Director, International and Comparative Law Program
Assistant Director, the Promise Institute for Human RightsJon D. Michaels
Professor of LawLindsay Wiley
Professor of Law
Faculty Director, Health Law and Policy Program -
Fellows and Scholars
Sapna Khatri, Sears Clinical Teaching Fellow on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Sapna Khatri (she/her) is the inaugural Sears Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinical Law Teaching Fellow and will help create a new policy clinic on reproductive and sexual health for UCLA Law students. Khatri joins UCLA Law from the ACLU of Illinois, where she served as Advocacy and Policy Counsel and Staff Attorney. She spent the first year as a legal fellow in their Women’s and Reproductive Rights Project, focusing on a range of reproductive health and justice issues. As Advocacy and Policy Counsel, Khatri focused on a range of privacy, technology, and surveillance matters. Her research focus as a Teaching Fellow explores the intersection of reproductive justice and increasingly invasive technology.Sofia Perdoza, 2021 UC Presidential Public Service Fellow
Sofia Pedroza (she/her) is serving as the Olivia and Jamie Cayden Reproductive Rights Fellow with the California Planned Parenthood Education Fund. Pedroza, UCLA Law ’21, clerked with Administrative Judge Louis Garcia in the Federal Sector of the EEOC. She served as articles editor for UCLA Law Review and Women’s Law Journal, while also co-chairing If/When/How, Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. Pedroza earned her B.A. summa cum laude, from Cal Poly Pomona and her M.A., magna cum laude, from UC-Irvine.Brittany Chung, 2021 Reproductive Rights Public Interest Scholar
Brittany Chung (she/her) is the new Center’s first public interest scholar. She is currently a first year at UCLA School of Law, where she is a member of the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Brittany worked as a legal advocate for domestic violence survivors in Philadelphia. During her time in the city, Brittany worked on a campaign to shut down crisis pregnancy centers and a community listening project regarding self-managed abortion care. She also served as a community organizing fellow for an abortion fund and a member of a practical support network that provided transportation and lodging for people seeking abortion services. Brittany firmly believes that true reproductive justice is rooted in racial, gender, and economic justice and encompasses issues of family safety and affordable and accessible healthcare. She hopes for a world where everyone has full control over what their family looks like.Cathren Cohen, Staff Attorney
Cathren Cohen (she/her) is Staff Attorney with the new Center and the Williams Institute at UCLA Law, where her work focuses on sexual and reproductive rights. Cohen previously served as a Staff Attorney with the National Health Law Program, where she engaged in policy and administrative advocacy to advance access to high quality health care for low-income and underserved individuals with a particular focus on behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, and the health needs of LGBTQ individuals, incarcerated populations, and youth in foster care. Prior to that, Cohen was a Law Fellow with Lambda Legal’s Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project, where she advocated for the rights of LGBTQ youth in child welfare, juvenile justice, and homelessness systems of care and opposed efforts to use religion as a license to discriminate. Cohen received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she served as a Senior Articles Editor for the NYU Review of Law and Social Change and served on the board of the law school’s chapter of If/When/How (then Law Students for Reproductive Justice). She received her B.A. with majors in Political Science and Psychology from UCLA.Kennedy Willis, Post-Graduate Fellow.
Kennedy Willis is a 2022 graduate of UCLA School of Law, has worked in various roles to support an array of public interest efforts, including school reproductive health services overseen by NYC’s Department of Public Health & Mental Hygiene, Zone 126’s community school vision in Queens, New York, and the St. Catherine University's Abigail Q. McCarthy Center for Women's mission to affirm and foster women's dignity and intellectual development. Kennedy’s interest in expanding access to and application of knowledge, resources, bodily integrity and voluntary consent aligns with the CRHLP commitment to reproductive justice.Jaclyn Serpico, Post-Graduate Fellow
Jaclyn Serpico (she/her) received her JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2022; she also holds an MA in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and an MPH with a concentration in Health Behavior & Health Promotion. As a law student, she interned on the Public Policy, Litigation and Law team at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and on the Federal Policy and Advocacy Team at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Areas in which she has worked extensively include state judicial bypass laws and FDA regulation of mifepristone for medication abortion. She was the founding president of Moritz’s If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice chapter and served as a student board fellow on the board of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. While in graduate school, she was a trainee member of the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN), and her master’s thesis research focused on barriers to IUD access in Ohio.Anabelle Spezia-Lindner, 2022 Summer Fellow
Annabelle Spezia-Lindner (she/her) just finished her first year at UCLA School of Law where she serves as a Co-Chair of the school's If/When/How chapter and a staff member of the Dukeminier Awards Journal of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law. Before coming to UCLA, Annabelle worked in legislative consulting in Austin, Texas, in a research role primarily focused on healthcare, legal aid, and local government. Annabelle hopes to work in reproductive rights policy and advocacy after law school, and is very excited to get started with the CRHLP this summer.Rebecca Rose, 2022 Summer Fellow
Rebecca Rose is a 1L at UCLA Law passionate about healthcare law and reproductive rights. Rebecca has a bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, where she was involved in reproductive justice student organizations and served as a sexual health peer counselor. Rebecca worked in healthcare consulting prior to attending law school where she learned about the (nearly infinite) complexities of the US healthcare system. This summer she will be interning at the California Attorney General’s Office in the Healthcare Rights and Access Section. Her work will focus on strengthening access to reproductive care, among other pressing healthcare access issues.Tristan Heart-Myers, 2022 Summer Fellow
Tristan Heart-Myers is entering her last year at the UCLA School of Law where she is enrolled in the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law & Policy and Critical Race Studies specializations. Tristan has worked on the issue of Los Angeles hospitals drug testing labor and delivery patients and is deeply passionate about women’s right to autonomy over their bodies and private decisions. Prior to law school, Tristan worked in Seattle on issues of housing equality and homelessness, both in the non-profit sector and in local government. She is excited to bring her experience to the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy this summer.Mikayla Tran, Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy Scholarship Recipient for the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Students
Mikayla Tran joins the UCLA School of Law with a B.S. in Society and Environment from the University of California, Berkeley. During her undergraduate career, Mikayla approached her work and academics with an eagerness to understand the intersectionality of social justice issues, prompting her to engage in research on the intersection of gender and climate justice. After graduating, Mikayla deepened her public interest roots by serving as an AmeriCorps member in a climate-focused program called GrizzlyCorps. She now hopes to bring her passion about reproductive rights, environmental justice, and legal advocacy to the law school community. Among her many goals in pursuing a legal education, Mikayla aims to reduce barriers to reproductive rights, support survivors of sexual violence, and humanize the practice of law for marginalized groups.Alanna McNaughton, Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy Scholarship Recipient for the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Students
Alanna McNaughton joins the UCLA School of Law with degrees in Political Science and Theatre Arts from Boston University. While working as an advocacy research specialist at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alanna performed research at the intersection of disinformation, social media platform regulation, and reproductive health and rights. In their role, they supported accountability campaigns against social media platforms' spread of misogynoir and public health misinformation, worked on public education around mis- and disinformation tactics online, and informed strategic organizational priorities with their research. They are particularly excited about joining the Center for Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy as a theatrical storyteller that has seen the impact of abortion narratives on policymakers and the public and the potential to shift the conversation. During law school, Alanna hopes to dive deeper into the legal doctrine of reproductive justice, gender and sexuality law, and tech policy to find new and impactful ways to support individuals seeking affirming health care across intersecting identities and experiences. - Donors
Events
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Upcoming Events
Check back for upcoming events soon.
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Past Events
The Impact of Dobbs on Access to Abortion
On May 9, this panel discussed the results of the #WeCount study and other research measuring the direct impact of the Dobbs decision on abortion, including medication abortion and access through telehealth. Legal experts responded to the findings and discuss current strategies for restoring access.
Watch the webinar on YouTube here.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Misleading and Biased
On April 26, CRHLP and the Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health co-sponsored a discussion about how crisis pregnant centers operate, including results from Paula Tavrow's latest study showing evidence of racial and ethnic bias in phone consultations between CPCs and male mystery clients.
Watch the webinar on YouTube here.
Implications of the Federal Court Rulings on Medication Abortion
On April 17 at 12PM PT, CRHLP and the Health Law and Policy Program hosted a panel discussion and Q&A to discuss the future of medication abortion following two conflicting federal court rulings.
Watch the webinar on YouTube here.
Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Reproductive Rights at the Margins: Injustice in Immigrant Confinement
On Wednesday, April 5 the Center for Immigration Law and Policy and the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy hosted a lunchtime event to explore the intersection between reproductive justice and immigration justice.Watch the webinar on YouTube here.
Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Perspectives on Climate Justice, Public Health, and Reproductive Justice
On March 15 from 12:15-1:30, join the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy for a discussion about the intersection of climate change and reproductive justice.
Watch the webinar on YouTube here.
Mainstreaming Reproductive Health Conference
To celebrate the publication of Feminist Judgments: Health Law Rewritten, edited by Seema Mohapatra and Lindsay F. Wiley, UCLA School of Law hosted an in-person conference on “Mainstreaming Reproductive Health in Health Law, Policy and Ethics” on February 10, 2023.
This national conference brought together health law, food and drug law, employee benefits, health information privacy, bioethics, and medical experts from across the country to share insights on how and why government and institutional leaders have traditionally siloed off reproductive and sexual health from other health care needs. We focused on the implications of this exceptionalism for efforts to secure access to reproductive and sexual health care in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. We identified strategies for mainstreaming reproductive and sexual health within efforts aimed at securing equity, patient safety, and patient autonomy in health care financing and delivery.
This event was co-sponsored by UCLA Law’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy, UCLA Law’s Health Law and Policy Program, and SMU Dedman School of Law's Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation.
More information | Watch the panels online
Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Birthing While Black
On Wednesday, February 8th the Black Law Students Association, the Critical Race Studies Program at UCLA Law, and the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy hosted a webinar to explore the intersections between reproductive justice and racial justice. This event was not recorded.
Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Access to Abortion is a Human Rights Issue
On Monday, January 30, 2023 the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy and the Promise Institute co-hosted a webinar titled Access to Abortion is a Human Rights Issue.
- Watch the video
Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Native Reproductive Self-Determination: Dobbs to Brackeen
- Watch the video
Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Post-Roe v. Wade
On August 31, 2022, CRHLP's Cathren Cohen joined the Reproductive Health Policy and Change Event: Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Post-Roe v. Wade. Cathren discussed the legislative work being done to support access to abortion, including for the estimated 10,600 additional people who will travel to California now that Roe has been overturned.
- Watch the video
Tech Policy in the Shadow of Dobbs
This panel, co-sponsored by the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy and the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy, brought together leading experts on cybersecurity, freedom of speech, and reproductive rights to discuss the tech policy landscape in the aftermath of Dobbs.
- Watch the video
After Roe: What's Next?
A webinar sponsored by the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy that covered the legal implications for abortion access following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Held on June 24, 2022.
- Watch the video
The Future of Reproductive Rights
- Watch the program
Whither the Court
- Watch the program
For Students
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Pro Bono Opportunities
Student Research is supervised by Clinical Law Teaching Fellow, Sapna Khatri.
The Center launched its first in a series of research projects with students at UCLA Law in the Fall of 2021. Through a partnership with the Williams Institute and the student organization, If/When/How – Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, students are exploring abortion criminalization across the country. While we are seeing a rise in abortion restrictions recently, several states have long criminalized abortion in some capacity. To help better understand the status of abortion criminalization in the U.S., students completed a 50-state survey on the topic, which will serve as the foundation for in-depth research.
Students will have additional opportunities to assist with Center research and participate in pro bono events. Specifically, students will continue exploring barriers to abortion access, religious refusals, comprehensive sex-ed implementation, and issues of economic justice as related to veteran access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
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Scholarships
UCLA Law has a rich history of training public interest leaders who strive to make a difference in communities across the world through their dedication to public service and social justice. The Epstein Program offers one such avenue to prepare and empower students as they pursue a career in public interest law.
Students interested in building a career as public interest lawyers focused on reproductive justice are eligible for a CRHLP scholarship. To apply, students must apply to the Epstein Program, write their public interest essay about reproductive justice, and be admitted into the Epstein Program.
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Summer Fellowships
Recognizing that a young lawyer’s training extends beyond the classroom, UCLA Law is committed to supporting law students throughout all aspects of their law school journey. This includes assisting students gain summer employment, secure externships, and participate in clinics.
CRHLP is now seeking applications for summer fellowships. Students will have the opportunity to work on a range of Center projects, including sex ed implementation, researching crisis pregnancy centers, tribal law interests in reproductive justice, and abortion access. Priority consideration will be given to students that apply by 5 p.m. on March 31, 2023. The fellowships are open to all 1L and 2L students. If you are interested, please send your resume, cover letter, and law school transcript to towne@law.ucla.edu with the subject line "Your name-Summer Fellow Application".
UCLA Law students who wish to spend their summers focused on reproductive justice work, can apply for a CRHLP summer fellowship. Students must apply for summer funding through the regular application process for UCLA Law summer funding and have a host organization that is focused on reproductive justice. They should describe their passion for reproductive justice and the work they will be doing over the summer in their UCLA Law summer funding application. CRHLP summer fellowship awards are for $6,000 for 1Ls and 2Ls and are in place of UCLA Law summer funding (not in addition to it.)
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Post-Grad Fellowships
In addition to offering support during a student’s law school career, UCLA offers a number of fellowships to support graduates. Specifically, the CRHLP awards two public interest fellowships each year to UCLA School of Law graduates. At least one fellowship will be to work for one year with CRHLP. Graduating UCLA Law students can also apply for funding to work with a non-profit organization focused on reproductive justice. Applications for post-graduate fellowships will be announced to UCLA Law students in the spring semester of year.
We are excited to announce the UCLA School of Law Postgraduate Fellow for the Black Health Initiative Medical Legal Partnership (BHI – MLP), hosted by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). Recent December 2022 graduates and current third year students are invited to apply by April 7, 2023, especially those with a commitment to public service and racial justice. This will be a one year post-graduate fellowship with the LAFLA with a competitive salary and full benefits.
Please complete this application and submit all materials to Phong Wong, LAFLA Pro Bono Director, at probono@lafla.org, by Friday, April 7, 2023 at 12 pm.
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Law Teaching Fellowships
Periodically, CRHLP will award a law teaching fellowship to work with CRHLP and teach at UCLA School of Law, including clinical law teaching fellowships. Any law graduate with a demonstrated commitment to reproductive justice, legal scholarship, and law teaching can apply for this fellowship program. Announcements for these fellowships will be posted each year.
Projects and Programs
The Center and its affiliated faculty and scholars file amicus briefs in key court cases, publish original legal scholarship and public policy analysis, and work in coalition with key community partners. Recent examples and ways to get involved include:
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Briefs
Lauren van Schilfgaarde helped draft this amicus on behalf of Cecilia Fire Thunder, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the Native American Community Board, and Additional Advocacy Organizations and Individuals in support of respondents in Dobbs v. Women’s Health Org.
Read the brief.
Jill Horwitz helped draft this amicus on behalf of economists in support of respondents in Dobbs v. Women’s Health Org.
Read the brief.
Jon Michaels joined Blake Emerson (UCLA Law), David Noll (Rutgers Law), and Diego Zambrano (Stanford) in this Brief of Legal Scholards in support of Petitioner, United States v. Texas.
Read the brief.
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Research and Reports
Improving Access to Abortion Medication and Contraception: Findings from the California Pharmacist Survey
Despite state legislative efforts to increase access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services through pharmacists, current research suggests that the potential impact of these policies has not been fully realized. To better understand implementation barriers to the provision of SRH services, including abortion medication, emergency contraceptives, and self-administered hormonal contraceptives (e.g., the pill, patch, ring, or injection), we conducted an online survey of California pharmacists (N=919). Main findings include the following:
- Three-quarters (75%) of pharmacists would be willing to prescribe abortion medication if allowed by law. Looking ahead to this future potential authority, less than half were confident in their knowledge of medication abortion (44%) or their ability to prescribe abortion medications if allowed by law (41%).
- Over 90% of pharmacists agreed that providing access to contraception is important, including emergency contraception (e.g., Plan B, Ella)
- Less than one-third (29%) of pharmacists believed that parental consent should be required before providing emergency contraception to minors.
- Three-quarters (75%) of pharmacists were willing to prescribe hormonal contraception, such as birth control pills taken regularly to prevent pregnancy, to patients regardless of age.
- Very few pharmacists reported religious (9%) or moral (7%) objections to prescribing hormonal birth control.
- Many pharmacists were confident in their knowledge of hormonal contraception (72%) and their ability to prescribe contraception (61%).
- More than three-quarters (79%) of pharmacists working in community pharmacies indicated that their pharmacies provided levonorgestrel emergency contraception (e.g., Plan B, One-Step) without an outside provider’s prescription (i.e., over the counter or pharmacist-prescribed).
- Despite having the authority in California, slightly less than half (46%) of pharmacists worked in community pharmacies that offered pharmacist-prescribed self-administered hormonal contraception (e.g., the pill, patch, ring, or injection).
- Pharmacists most frequently endorsed these reasons for why the pharmacies where they worked did not offer pharmacist-prescribed contraception: inadequate staff or time to add new services (42%), lack of knowledge or training about hormonal contraception (32%), and lack of coverage for the service even if the medication is covered (24%).
Read the full report here.
Improving Access to Essential Prevention Services: The Opportunities and Challenges of Expanding the Role of California's Pharmacists
A new study by CHRLP, California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers, and the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists shows that while the vast majority of pharmacists in California want to administer PREP and PEP, most lacked the training or time to do so. Key findings from the study include:
- Only 11% of those surveyed indicated that pharmacists at their pharmacy initiate PrEP as authorized by SB 159; similarly, 13% reported providing PEP under SB 159
- Respondents reported feeling that pharmacy-based PEP and PrEP provision is important (96%) yet significantly fewer respondents reported being confident in their knowledge of PrEP (50%) and ability to prescribe PrEP (41%)
- Less than a third of currently practicing licensed pharmacists (29%) reported receiving training on PEP and PrEP, as required to prescribe medications under SB 159
- More than a third of respondents (37%) from pharmacies that do not initiate PrEP selected inadequate staff/time to add new services as the main barrier to implementation
- The second most cited barrier to implementation was the lack of insurance coverage for pharmacy-based PrEP services (17%).
You can read the brief report here or the full report here.
People Traveling to Illinois for Abortion Care after Roe v. Wade was Overturned
In June of 2022, the Supreme Court released its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion. As a result, states are now free to regulate abortion as they see fit and 26 states are likely to ban all, or nearly all, abortions. In the months since Dobbs was decided, we have already seen significant increases in interstate abortion travel and greater strain on clinics in states where abortion remains legal.
This data brief estimates that as a result of these restrictions on access to abortion, between 9,277 and 18,554 more people will travel to Illinois each year for abortion care.
The Implications of Dobbs on Reproductive Health Care Access for LGBTQ People Who Can Get Pregnant
A new review of studies from the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will have a unique and significant impact on LGBTQ people who can get pregnant.
Second Report on Preserving Reproductive Health Access on the Anniversary of Roe V. Wade
On January 25, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion to ensure women’s access to quality reproductive health care services. The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy has worked alongside Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health advocates to develop written recommendations on how Los Angeles County could respond now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. The report, which contains a recommended path forward to ensure everyone who needs reproductive and sexual health services has a right to access a full spectrum of care, features the CRHLP study which estimates that now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, an additional 10,600 people will travel to California each year for abortion care.
Read the report.
People Traveling to California and Los Angeles for Abortion Care if Roe v. Wade is Overturned
A new study from the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA School of Law finds that when the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, an estimated 10,600 people will travel to California each year for abortion care, 6,200 of whom will come to Los Angeles County.
Read the study.
Testimony of Cary Franklin before the California State Senate Judiciary Committee in support of State Constitutional Amendment 10
On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, Professor Cary Franklin provided testimony on behalf of SCA 10, a resolution which would amend the California State Constitution to "prohibit the state from denying or interfering with an individual’s reproductive freedom," "which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives."
Read her testimony.
Recommendations to Protect, Strengthen, an Expand Abortion Services in California
The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy joined more than 40 organizations to create the California Future of Abortion Council. Comprised of sexual and reproductive health care providers, reproductive rights and reproductive justice advocacy organizations, legal and policy experts, researchers, and advocates, with the support of California ‘s Governor and Legislative leadership, the Council released a set of Recommendations to Protect, Strengthen, an Expand Abortion Services in California. We are proud to sign on to these recommendations and to work in partnership with others in the Council to ensure California remains a state where the rights of patients seeking abortion care, and those who support them, are protected.
Read the set of recommendations.
Report on Preserving Reproductive Health Access on the Anniversary of Roe V. Wade
The Center on Reproductive Law, Health, and Policy joined a working group convened by the Chief Executive Office’s (CEO), Women and Girls Initiative (WGI) to meet and develop written recommendations on how the County of Los Angeles (County) could respond should Roe v. Wade (Roe) be overturned. In phase one, the working group created an initial Report on Preserving Reproductive Health Access on the Anniversary of Roe V. Wade. This report includes information regarding monitoring the legislative timeline related to reproductive health care and contains recommendations for each of the Board directives in the areas of budget, enhanced medical training, expansion of the reproductive healthcare workforce, creating a uniform referral system, and opportunities to reduce and address health disparities.
Read the report.
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Legal Scholarship
- Franklin, Cary, Living Textualism, Supreme Court Review, 2021 Forthcoming. Full Text
- Michaels, Jon, Legal Vigilantes and the Institutionalization of Anti-Democratic Politics (2021). Full Text
- Franklin Cary, The Story of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt and What It Means to Protect Women, in Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories, (edited by Melissa Murray, Kate Shaw & Reva Siegel, Foundation Press, 2019). Full Text
- Franklin, Cary The New Class Blindness, 128 Yale Law Journal 2 (2018). Full Text
- Franklin, Care Biological Warfare: Constitutional Conflict over “Inherent Differences” Between the Sexes, 2017 Supreme Court Review 169 (2018). Full Text
- Khatri, Sapna, Hijras: The 21st Century Untouchables, 16 Wash. U. Global Stud. L. Rev. 387 (2017). Full Text
- Franklin, Cary, Roe as We Know It, 114 Michigan Law Review 867 (2016). Full Text
- Franklin, Cary, The Anti-Stereotyping Principle in Constitutional Sex Discrimination Law, 85 NYU Law Review 1 (2010). Full Text
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Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice (SoCal LARJ)
The Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice (SoCal LARJ) aims to bring together the legal profession in Southern California to advocate for and provide representation concerning abortion and other reproductive rights and justice issues.
Our goal is to provide pro bono legal support to patients, providers, and others in Southern California and elsewhere in coordination and consultation with reproductive rights and justice organizations, state and local government agencies, and similar regional coalitions.
Are you a lawyer or law firm located in Southern California? Please review our invitation to join SoCal LARJ here.
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Covering the Bases: Tracking Legal Efforts for Abortion Nationwide
- A comprehensive review of currently available legal resources nationally. View our resource here.
Media
The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy welcomes Melissa Goodman as our inaugural Executive Director
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In the News
- Deep Dive: State of Abortion in California, The Daily Bruin
- US states vote to protect reproductive rights in rebuke to anti-abortion push, The Guardian
- Fact check: California measure would add abortion rights to constitution, not define when it is allowed, USA Today
- California’s Proposition 1 includes “a right to abortion up-to-birth.”, Politifact
- L.A. City Council approves law targeting pregnancy centers that mislead on abortion, LA Times
- Would Prop. 1 allow abortions after fetal viability? Legal experts say no, CalMatters
- How Ectopic Pregnancy Got Drawn Into the Abortion Debate, PopSugar
- Prop. 1 backers challenge claims that California ballot measure would remove all abortion restrictions, SF Chronicle
- LA Council Votes to Approve Law Targeting Misleading Pregnancy Service Centers, NBC4 News
- California Politics: What constitutional law experts say about the abortion ballot measure, LA Times
- Abortion measure brings a hint of uncertainty to California’s midterms, Washington Post
- Abortion ban could impact LGBTQ+ community, Ohio Capital Journal
- How Overturning ‘Roe’ Affects College Students From Anti-Abortion States, Rewire News
- Are abortion seekers flocking to California? It's almost impossible to tell, SF Chronicle
- Newsom signs abortion protections into law, CalMatters
- Cement reproductive rights in California’s Constitution, CalMatters
- Opinion: UCLA must protect reproductive rights for both out-of-state, in-state students, The Daily Bruin
- Opponents of California’s abortion rights measure mislead on expense to taxpayers, PolitiFact
- Do abortion rights belong in the California constitution? Your questions answered, The Sacramento Bee
- Abortion Could Define California’s Elections, The Atlantic
- California lawmakers pass slate of bills protecting abortion access, Reuters
- Why the Overturning of Roe v. Wade Has Some Women Deleting Fertility Apps, NBC4 News
- UCLA on track to offer medical abortions on campus starting in 2023, The Daily Bruin
- In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control, Salon
- In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control, CBS News
- How the Overturning of Roe v. Wade May Affect Students' College Decisions, U.S. News and World Report
- With Roe gone, Planned Parenthood charts a new path, Christian Science Monitor
- Can abortion be a question of religious liberty? These faiths say yes, Christian Science Monitor
- Your IUD Might Be At Risk As Abortion Rights Disappear, Elite Daily
- California to vote on state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, The Daily Bruin
- A California desert town has long been an abortion refuge for Arizona and Mexico. Now it’s overwhelmed, LA Times
- Could federal lands be a loophole for abortion access? Legal experts say it's complicated, USA Today
- Lee Zeldin “voted for abortion bans even when the mother’s health is at risk, PolitiFact
- Abortion Pills will soon be available on California campuses, SF Chronicle
- Ohio's Abortion Law Controversy, CBS News
- Abortion News Updates: CSU and UC Schools to Offer Abortion Pills on Campus, Newsweek
- OB-GYN Board Moves Exam Online to Avoid Texas Travel, Bloomberg Law
- Column: Would California’s abortion ballot measure allow late-term abortions? Its author says no, LA Times
- Biden's guidance on pharmacists and abortion bans gets blowback, Axios
- Abortion Pills Will Soon Be Available On California Campuses, LAist
- How California is Preparing for the Surge in Out-of-State Abortion Patients, New York Times
- Americans scramble for abortions in states that have banned it, Politico
- For Women, The New Realities Are Already Stark Contrasts, OC County Register
- Here’s what it will take to get an abortion moving forward, Las Vegas Sun
- We are ready to receive you: Blue states prepare for influx of patients seeking abortion care, Cronkite News Arizona PBS
- State abortion bans face legal challenges after Roe ruling, PBS Newshour
- Here’s What California’s Abortion Amendment Would Do, LAist
- Surveys led by UCLA faculty show majority of Amercians support abortion, The Daily Bruin
- On abortion access, employers have promises. They need plans, LA Times
- California will see rush of people from out of state seeking abortion care, study says, LA Times
- Can Supreme Court overturn other constitutional rights?, KCRW
- California Will Let Voters Decide On Abortion, The Root
- Arizona patients looking for abortion services are finding them in San Diego, KPBS
- California Doesn't Collect Basic Abortion Data — Even As It Invites an Out-of-State Influx, KQED
- LA officials look to preserve right to abortion in city, Spectrum News
- What's Next for California After Roe's Reversal, New York Times
- California constitutional amendment securing abortion, contraceptive rights goes to voters, LA Times
- California to vote on constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, Washington Post
- Experts Gather for UCLA Law Talk on the Future of Reproductive Rights, LA Magazine
- Many out-of-state women seeking abortions likely to come to Los Angeles, study says, ABC7 News
- Understanding ‘substantive due process’ and possible challenges to contraception, same-sex marriage rights, Texas Standard
- Column: In a chaotic post-Roe world, here’s what it will take for women to still get abortions, LA Times
- Column: After a week of guns, abortion and insurrection, California’s resistance matters more than ever, LA Times
- Southern California Protests in Wake of Roe v. Wade Reversal, NBC4
- These governors believe their states’ abortion-rights stances can lure businesses, MarketWatch
- The future of abortion in U.S. states where it’s illegal: Medication mailed from overseas, reproductive law expert says, Fortune
- Roe v. Wade Overturned: Here Are 26 States Where Abortion Can Be Banned; Check The LIST, International Business Times
- Dobbs Casts Shadow On Gay Rights, Birth Control, Law360
- UCLA Professor Cary Franklin on influx of people coming to California for abortions, ABC10
- ‘Are we fully prepared? No, but we’re getting there’ | California anticipating thousands more out-of-state abortion-seekers, ABC 10
- Thousands will now flock to California for abortion care, says UCLA law professor, ABC 10
- U.S. to become a 'wild west of abortion restrictions' -UCLA law professor, Reuters
- Newsom signs bill protecting California abortion providers from civil liability, LA Times
- What happens in California with Roe vs. Wade now dead?, LA Times
- Overturning ‘Roe’ Is Just the Latest Attack on LGBTQ People, DailyBeast
- Abortion Ruling May Put Same-Sex Marriage Rights In Jeopardy, POPSUGAR
- People are also worried about marriage equality now that Roe fell, Elite Daily
- Opinion: The fight for Roe v. Wade is a fight for basic social and legal protections, The Daily Bruin
- Opinion: Californians must advocate for Senate Bill 1375 to increase abortion access, The Daily Bruin
- Birth Control Could Be At Risk Now That Roe Was Overturned, Elite Daily
- UCLA faculty consider implications of overturning Roe v. Wade on privacy rights, The Daily Bruin
- Some birth control could be banned if Roe v. Wade is overturned, legal experts warn, NBC News
- With Roe in peril, ‘slippery slope’ looms larger for LGBTQ Americans, Christian Science Monitor
- A New Conservative Majority Poised to Overturn Roe v. Wade Could Spell the End of the Roberts Court, Boston Globe
- The End of Roe Could Be Just the Beginning, GQ
- Legal experts fear Roe is just the tip of the iceberg, Spectrum News
- Blue states want to create havens for abortion rights. Can they? Christian Science Monitor
- From LGBTQ rights to interracial marriage, abortion ruling could be map for GOP's next push, USA Today
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Podcasts
- Balance of Power: California Votes on Abortion Rights, Bloomberg
- Episode 83: Roe Overturned- What's Next?, A Song Called Life Podcast
- SCOTUS, Dobbs, & the Fate of the 4th, Lawyer2Lawyer
- Will states be able to ban same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, or the use of contraception?, Passing Judgements
- We examine Post Roe world of Women’s health care, Scholar's Circle
- SCOTUS & the Overturning of Roe v. Wade, Lawyer2Lawyer Podcast
- Jan 6 Hearing, Trump Tantrums, Limo Lunge, Sound On
- SCOTUS & the Future of Roe v. Wade, Lawyer2Lawyer Podcast
- Roe v. Wade and Abortion Access with Cathren Cohen, Sex Ed with DB
- The End of Abortion Rights in the United States? A Conversation with Cary Franklin in the Wake of the Leaked Alito Opinion, Then & Now
- Quickly providing more abortion services in CA will be daunting, Press Play
- SCOTUS Leak Suggests Roe v. Wade May Be Overturned, Air Talk with Larry Mantle
- Is the Age of Roe v. Wade Over? A Conversation on the Long Legal Fight over Abortion with Cary Franklin, Then & Now
- Behind the new wave of laws modeled after the Texas anti-abortion law, NPR All Things Considered
Resources
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Careers
Job Postings:
The UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law and Policy is dedicated to training the next generation of researchers, lawyers, and leaders dedicated to advancing reproductive rights and producing research-informed strategies to transform current debates. As a national interdisciplinary academic center, the center will amplify UCLA Law's current work on reproductive health, law and policy and build capacity by attracting new leaders, scholars, and students.
- Senior Staff Attorney: Apply Here by July 3, 2023
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Media Contacts
Brad Sears – sears@law.ucla.edu
Associate Dean of Public Interest Law
David Sanders Distinguished Scholar of Law & Policy, The Williams Institute
Founding Executive Director, The Williams InstituteCary Franklin – franklin@law.ucla.edu
McDonald/Wright Chair of Law
Faculty Director, Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy
Faculty Director, The Williams InstituteAdam Winkler – winkler@law.ucla.edu
Connell Professor of Law
Lara Stemple – stemple@law.ucla.edu
Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and International Student Programs
Founding Faculty Member, Center of Expertise on Women’s Health and EmpowermentJon Michaels – michaels@law.ucla.edu
Professor of Law
Sapna Khatri – khatri@law.ucla.edu
Sears Clinical Teaching Fellow
Cathren Cohen – cohenc@law.ucla.edu
Scholar of Law and Policy, Sexual and Reproductive Rights
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