Centers Of Excellence

Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy

An innovative new center engaging with community organizations, scholars, lawmakers, practitioners, and advocates on reproductive health, law, and policy.

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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.

Who We Are

Events

  • Upcoming Events

    Check back for upcoming events soon.

  • 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.


    Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Native Reproductive Self-Determination: Dobbs to Brackeen


    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.


    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.


    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.


    The Future of Reproductive Rights


    Whither the Court

For Students

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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.)

  • 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.

  • 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:

  • 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.

  • 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.

    Read the report.


    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.

    Read the report.


    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.

  • 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
  • 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.

  • 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 

Read the announcement. 

Resources

  • 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
  • Media Contacts

    Electronic Press Kit


    Brad Searssears@law.ucla.edu

    Associate Dean of Public Interest Law
    David Sanders Distinguished Scholar of Law & Policy, The Williams Institute
    Founding Executive Director, The Williams Institute


    Cary Franklinfranklin@law.ucla.edu

    McDonald/Wright Chair of Law
    Faculty Director, Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy
    Faculty Director, The Williams Institute


    Adam Winklerwinkler@law.ucla.edu  

    Connell Professor of Law


    Lara Stemplestemple@law.ucla.edu

    Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and International Student Programs
    Founding Faculty Member, Center of Expertise on Women’s Health and Empowerment


    Jon Michaelsmichaels@law.ucla.edu

    Professor of Law


    Sapna Khatrikhatri@law.ucla.edu

    Sears Clinical Teaching Fellow


    Cathren Cohen – cohenc@law.ucla.edu

    Scholar of Law and Policy, Sexual and Reproductive Rights

  • Newsletter

    Sign up to join the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy Newsletter.

News
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Nov 15, 2022

Cary Franklin is Quoted in Politico on Constitutional Propositions for Abortion Rights in California

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Nov 07, 2022

What’s at stake in the 2022 midterms: UCLA Law faculty weigh in

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