Centers Of Excellence

Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy

Reimagining the future of reproductive health, law, and policy in a time of urgent need.

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Building the Future of Reproductive Rights and Justice

Founded in 2022, the Center is a think tank and research center developing long-term, lasting solutions that advance all aspects of reproductive justice and address the current national crisis of abortion access.

We are lawyers, policy experts, scholars, and researchers who are working to solve America’s reproductive justice crisis. Our mission is to increase access to abortion and contraception, end racial and economic disparities in maternal health outcomes, support people who decide to build families, and dismantle the gender bias that limits reproductive justice.

We do this by developing innovative legal theories and policy solutions for access to reproductive healthcare. We research and produce scholarship and legal briefs that pinpoint challenges and opportunities in the current landscape. We bring together advocates, scholars, and thought leaders. We train the law and policy leaders of tomorrow who will protect and expand access to reproductive health. The different aspects of our work are connected in service of a single aim: to provide trustworthy explanations of laws and policies concerning reproductive freedom, and to translate this information across disciplines.

We focus on the full reproductive life cycle:

  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • Fertility
  • Maternal Health
  • Family Economic Justice
  • Menopause

A few of our accomplishments from our first two years:

  • Arranged free legal services for 60+ reproductive health providers and advocates through our Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice.
  • Helped draft and pass Prop 1, California’s popular constitutional referendum which enshrines abortion and contraception rights in the state, notably not limiting access by viability or gestational limits.
  • Helped the Mother/Infant Cash Coalition build a new research table to help programs and researchers draw faster, wider, and more accurate conclusions about the impacts of guaranteed income programs for pregnant people on a meta-level.
  • Produced and led 15+ convenings for the legal, research, and advocacy communities, alongside policymakers, industry representatives, and many others. These convenings have brought together disciplines to share information and collaborate in new ways. They’ve led to the creation of new industry guidelines, a popular listserv for researchers, and much more.
  • Published key scholarship, research, journal articles, op-eds, media alerts, and even an amicus brief for the Supreme Court.
  • Provided training and learning opportunities for law and public health students, fellowships for graduates, and built linkages between medical, law, public health and undergrad community members eager to work on reproductive justice issues.

2025 will be a year of hard-to-predict changes. These are some of the actions we have planned as we meet its challenges:

  • On abortion: We’re expanding the universe of legal and historical scholarship on this critical issue. This means helping advocates attack bans and criminalization at state and national levels, as well as providing new legal and policy frameworks to protect access today – and tomorrow.
  • On contraception: We’re focused on protecting access for minors and making sure pharmacies provide safe, knowledgeable access to contraception for people of all ages.
  • On economic justice and maternal health: We’re building new legal theories to support the right to safe pregnancies, along with promoting guaranteed income support for families and pregnancies.

Stay up to date with event announcements, job postings, and original content from our staff—including commentaries, research, and scholarship—by subscribing to our biweekly newsletter, delivered every other Saturday.

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Projects

Join us!

UCLA Law CRHLP has many opportunities for students and the legal community to engage with our work on reproductive health, law, and policy.
Legal Pathways Beyond Dobbs

Eleven scholars’ thought-provoking essays for a Balkinization Symposium.
State Shield Law Guide

Understanding shield laws for reproductive and gender-affirming health care.
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.
Mifepristone Tracker

Tracking litigation and federal action affecting access to mifepristone.

About the Center

Events

  • Upcoming Events

     

     

  • Past Events

    Book Talk: Queering Reproductive Justice

    June 5, 2025

    CRHLP Executive Director Melissa Goodman and Elana Redfield, Federal Policy Director at The Williams Institute sat down for a  conversation with Candace Bond-Theriault, Esq., LL.M..
    The three discussed Candace's new book, Queering Reproductive Justice, which examines reproductive justice through an intersectional lens. The book emphasizes the vital interconnectedness of the reproductive justice and LGBTQIA+ movements. 

    Watch the conversation here.

    Legal Solutions for Maternal Health Challenges

    May 29,2025

    CRHLP, UCLA Law's Critical Race Studies Program, and the Center for Reproductive Rights hosted panel discussion and reception on building new legal frameworks and protections to address the maternal health crisis in the United States. The conversation, moderated by award-winning journalist Nina Martin, featured scholars, practitioners, and advocates to discuss real-world litigation, current challenges in applying the law, and the pathway to new legal innovations for maternal health.  

    Watch the panel here.

    Let’s Talk Science: IVF & Emerging Reproductive Technologies
    May 15, 2025

    Hosted by Dean of Life Sciences, Tracy Johnson, and featuring CRHLP's executive director Melissa Goodman, this panel brought together leading UCLA experts to discuss the science, practice, and policy of IVF and its evolving role in reproductive health.

    Watch the panel here.

    Legal Frameworks for Abortion Innovation: Integrating Telehealth into an Abortion Care Practice

    April 23, 2025

    This webinar, featuring Senior Staff Attorney Amanda Barrow reviewed the full spectrum of ways telehealth can be integrated into abortion care and introduced a legal framework for attorneys supporting TMAB providers to consider when offering advice. This webinar provided insight into navigating provider and patient risks and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations, including in states with shield laws. 

    UCLA Center for Reproductive Science, Health, and Education Distinguished Speaker Series

    April 7, 2025

    CRHLP co-sponsored a discussion featuring Elizabeth Dias, the national religion correspondent for The New York Times. Elizabeth discussed her national bestselling book, The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America, co-authored with her colleague Lisa Lerer. You can find out more about the event here.

    March 14, 2025

    Unconditional Cash Transfers: A Growing Strategy for Reproductive Justice

    This moderated conversation with leaders from groundbreaking UCT programs across the country including Abundant Birth Project, Philly Joy Bank, National Council of Jewish Women | LA (NCJW|LA), Rx Kids and The Bridge Project highlighted the promise of unconditional cash programs for pregnant people and new parents as a promising and growing reproductive justice intervention. Watch the recording here.

    For a deeper dive into the impact of UCTs, check out our policy brief Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs) for Pregnant and Newly Parenting People: https://bit.ly/UTCBrief.

    March 6, 2025

    Reproductive & Gender Justice: Resistance and Reimagining

    The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (CRHLP), in partnership with Yale Law School’s Program for the Study of Reproductive Justice and Temple University Beasley School of Law, hosted Resistance and Reimagining: Perspectives on Reproductive and Gender Justice from the Academy, Advocacy, and Public Service. Watch the recording here.

    March 3, 2025

    Insurance and Medicaid Coverage, Reimbursement, and Billing for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception

    Our panelists from Arkansas and Washington shared real-world experiences with pharmacist-prescribed contraception, highlighting successes, challenges, and opportunities in reimbursement, credentialing, and cross-agency collaboration.

    Watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/gCaME8Uy and read our new policy brief aimed at increasing access to contraception by expanding the role of pharmacists here:
    https://lnkd.in/gqw2jaV9

    January 28th, 2025

    Strategies for Increasing Public Awareness of Over-the-Counter and Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception

    This moderated discussion framed the challenges to expanding contraceptive access, shared successes from pharmacists and partners, and identified opportunities on the horizon to increase demand for contraceptive services at pharmacies. The webinar covered pharmacist-prescribed contraception and the goal of increasing awareness of Opill, which is now available at pharmacies over the counter. We aim to empower movement partners by highlighting pharmacist prescribing as an important component of a broader "pharmacy-first" approach to contraception access.

    Watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yKhNs0MNps

    December 19th, 2024 

    Combating Originalism in State Courts

    CRHLP's Legal and Policy Director Diana Kasdan spoke at this event, hosted by the American Bar Association. From the rise of originalism in constitutional interpretation to the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022, courts have increasingly relied on this legal philosophy to justify the rollback of reproductive rights. However, recent state court rulings in North Dakota and Georgia demonstrate how constitutional protections at the state level are being used to challenge originalist arguments and safeguard individual rights. These cases highlight a growing resistance to originalism and its implications for reproductive autonomy. Join our experts as they examine how the North Dakota and Georgia cases push back against originalist interpretations of the law and explore why these legal battles matter. We'll discuss the judges' reasoning, the broader implications for reproductive rights, and how state constitutions are becoming critical tools for protecting privacy and liberty in the post-Dobbs landscape. This discussion will provide a comprehensive look at combating originalism in the courts, unpacking strategies and insights for advancing reproductive justice and challenging regressive legal frameworks.

    This will be available to stream on youtube on here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5-mtfo4-7I

    Opposition to Pregnancy Criminalization Across Professions

    On December 9th, CRHLP hosted a timely webinar discussion that brought together voices of prosecutor associations, ob-gyn associations, and advocates to discuss widespread opposition to pregnancy criminalization across different professions. CRHLP Staff Attorney Cathren Cohen will moderate a panel discussion with Pregnancy Justice’s Michele Ko, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Penn State University and Former ACOG Darney-Landy Fellow Michael Belmonte, and Project Director of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Addressing Disparities to Reproductive Health Project Beth Merachnik.

    Watch the event on YouTube here.

    If/When/How Speaker Series Brooklyn Law School

    On November 25, CRHLP's Legal and Policy Director Diana Kasdan joined a panel discussion on the topic of careers in the field of reproductive health justice at Brooklyn Law School 

     Why History Matters: Reproductive Rights and Justice.

    On October 30, CRHLP’s Faculty Director Cary Franklin was on a panel discussion for UCLA’s Department of History series Why History Matters on the topic of Reproductive Rights and Justice. 

    The discussion featured Alexandra Minna Stern, Dean of the UCLA Division of Humanities and Elizabeth O'Brien, Assistant Professor in UCLA’s Department of History. Kevin Terraciano, Professor and Chair of UCLA’s Department of History moderated.

    How Emergency Exceptions to Abortion Bans Pose Ethical Problems for US Doctors in a Post-Roe World

    On October 17, CRHLP co-hosted a webinar with the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.  
     
    Experts discussed the negative impact of post-Roe exceptions to abortion bans and the very difficult situations they pose for healthcare providers. Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, a Family Medicine practitioner in Idaho, Professor Michelle Oberman, a medical ethicist, and Nicolas Kabat, Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, articulated the immense challenges doctors face in states that ban abortion and how these bans prevent the delivery of good healthcare. CRHLP Executive Director Melissa Goodman moderated the conversation. 

    Watch the event on Youtube here.

    The UCLA Barbra Streisand Center Annual Lecture - A Requiem for Roe v. Wade: When Property Has No Privacy.

    On October 16, CRHLP’s Executive Director Melissa Goodman was on a panel discussion at The UCLA Barbra Streisand Center annual lecture on the topic of A Requiem for Roe v. Wade: When Property Has No Privacy. 

    The lecture was led by Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy at Georgetown Law. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion featuring Melissa Goodman and Jessica Gipson Professor and Fred H. Bixby Chair of Population and Reproductive Health Director at the Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. 

    The Future of Abortion Access After This Term's Supreme Court Cases

    On June 28th, CRHLP hosted an online panel with legal scholars, impacted providers, abortion researchers, and advocates to discuss the practical effects of FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, concerning access to mifepristone, and Moyle v. United States, which concerns whether EMTALA supersedes Idaho’s abortion ban. Panelists discussed the practical effects of these cases on abortion access in the country.

    Watch the event on YouTube here.

    A Conversation with CA Senator Toni G. Atkins

    On February 8, 2024, CRHLP hosted an in-person conversation about CA Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins' important contributions to advancing reproductive rights and justice in California. We also discussed her inspiring path to becoming the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the California Senate, and the first person in 150 years to lead both houses of the California Legislature. 

    The event also featured CA Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, Chief External Affairs Officer for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Celinda Vazquez, and Executive Director of CRHLP Melissa Goodman.  

    Abortion on the Ballot

    On November 9, 2023 CRHLP hosted a webinar that explored how the battle over abortion access has been fought through state ballots across the country and is growing to be a key issue in candidate elections. Held shortly after the November 7 election to enshrine a state constitutional right to abortion in Ohio, the webinar addressed the lessons learned from that campaign, including from the opposition efforts to keep abortion-related measures off the ballot altogether and the fiercely contested dispute to frame ballot language. The discussion of the Ohio election was contextualized within the broader learnings from the 2022 midterm elections, when measures protecting access to abortion prevailed in California, Michigan, and Vermont, and measures to restrict access were defeated in Kentucky, Kansas, and Montana. The webinar also explored the growing impact of abortion access as an issue in candidate elections.

    Watch the webinar on YouTube here.

    The Impact of Dobbs on Access to Abortion

    On May 9, 2023 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, 2023 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, 2023 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 April 5, 2023 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, 2023 CRHLP co-hosted a discussion about the intersection of climate change and reproductive justice with the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA Law. 

    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 February 8th 2023 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 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

    In November 2023, CRHLP co-hosted a webinar with the Native Nations Law and Policy Center at UCLA Law on native reproductive self-determination. 

    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

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:

  • Legal Briefs

    On January 30, 2024 the UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (CRHLP) and the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP filed an amicus brief on behalf of over 300 leading reproductive health researchers from the United States and worldwide urging the Court to reverse an appellate ruling that would severely restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The brief argues that the Court should not allow the politics of abortion to obscure the clear scientific record which shows that mifepristone is extremely safe and effective.  

    Read the brief.

    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

    Unconditional Cash Transfer Programs as a Promising Reproductive and Racial Justice Policy Intervention

    In this critical moment for reproductive and racial justice, The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (CRHLP) at UCLA School of Law is excited to share a new policy brief highlighting the growing momentum for a transformative approach: Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs) for Pregnant and Newly Parenting People. Economic instability is one of the greatest barriers to reproductive autonomy, maternal health, and family well-being. UCT programs provide direct, no-strings-attached financial support, addressing the structural inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, Latina, and low-income parents.  Across the country, states, counties, and cities are implementing UCT programs specifically for pregnant and newly parenting people, and early research shows promising outcomes for health and well-being.  Yet, UCTs are not yet often part of reproductive justice and maternal health policy solution discussions. Now, there is a growing coalition of these UCT programs and the researchers who study them – the Mother Infant Cash Coalition – that has come together to help document the impacts of UCT programs, and help scale up public investment and make them sustainable.

    Implementation Strategies for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception

    The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (CRHLP) at UCLA School of Law released a new policy brief focused on expanding access to contraception through the increased involvement of pharmacists. The brief, linked here, outlines actionable recommendations to address common barriers to the implementation of existing state laws that allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception. 

    Our recommendations are tailored to stakeholders working in the 29 states that have already adopted laws, protocols, or standing orders that permit pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception, which may include additional formulations of the pill, as well as the patch, the ring, and the shot. These recommendations may also be useful to those advocating for new laws in additional jurisdictions. As one formulation of oral contraceptive pills is now available over- the- counter, pharmacies are poised to become a critical point of access for millions of people seeking contraceptive care. The brief provides tailored recommendations in six key areas: reimbursement, compliance, workflow, training, liability, and demand. 

    Anti-Abortion Centers in California in 2023: Number, State Licensure, Location, and False Medical Claims  Online

    Post-Dobbs, California has declared itself a safe haven for abortion and passed dozens of laws to
    protect and expand access to abortion care. However, anti-abortion centers (AACs) —often referred
    to as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs)—currently outnumber legitimate clinics that offer abortion by a
    ratio of 5:4 in California. AACs seek to reach people facing unintended pregnancies to prevent them
    from accessing abortion and contraception disrupting pregnant people’s access to prenatal services
    and abortion care. In this study, we sought to understand more about AACs in California and to provide advocates, researchers, government officials, and interested members of the public with updated information to
    understand their current operations and practices as of September 1, 2023.

    Read the study here. 

    Willingness of Pharmacists to Prescribe Medication Abortion in California 

    A newly published study in JAMA Network Open finds that nearly 70% of licensed practicing community pharmacists in California would be willing to prescribe medication abortion if permitted by law. However, fewer were confident in their knowledge (48%) or ability to do so (40%). 

    Read the full article in JAMA Network Open here. 

    Demographics of Contraceptive Method Use in California, 2020

    An estimated three-quarters of California women—approximately 2.8 million in 2020—who are sexually active and wish to avoid pregnancy are using contraception. While contraceptive use demographic data is readily available at the national level, less information is available on the demographics of contraceptive use at the state level in California.

    We examined sociodemographic variability in the main method of birth control reported by sexually active cisgender heterosexual and bisexual women. We found both demographic differences among California users and differences between California data and national data. Researchers, advocates, providers, and others concerned with contraceptive method choice should take these differences. 

    Read the report here. 

    Access to ella® Emergency Contraception at California Pharmacies 

    A new study from CRHLP found that only one in five community pharmacists in California works at a pharmacy that provides ella emergency contraception without an outside provider’s prescription. The report draws on data from a 2022 survey of California pharmacists and the 2020 California Health Interview Survey and emphasizes the urgent need for action to ensure equitable access to effective emergency contraception in the face of increasing bans and restrictions on abortion rights.

    Read the report here. 

    Barriers to Minor Access to Emergency Contraception in California Pharmacies 

    A new study from CRHLP found that teens under the age of 18 are prevented from purchasing levonorgestrel emergency contraception (EC) over the counter in about half of the community pharmacies surveyed in California. The study, conducted using data from the 2022 California Pharmacist Survey, sheds light on the disparities minors face when obtaining emergency contraception, a crucial resource for preventing unintended pregnancies among adolescents.

    Read more here.

    California Healthy Youth Act Implementation

    California has long led the nation in its push for inclusive sex education for students. Much of this advocacy culminated in the passage of the California Healthy Youth Act (“CHYA”) in 2016. The law requires instruction of comprehensive sex education, including but not limited to information about HIV and pregnancy prevention, healthy relationships, gender identity, and more for middle and high school students. Despite the law’s passage over seven years ago, it has yet to be fully implemented across the state. The UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy has been working in partnership with EducateUs, a national advocacy organization, to track implementation efforts across California. With the help of students participating in our inaugural Reproductive Justice Externship Seminar, we were able to craft a toolkit aimed at helping administrators and management at schools better implement CHYA in their district; as well as a Know Your Rights Factsheet for students to further feel empowered of their rights under the law. We are now working in partnership with advocates across the state to continue our efforts to ensure CHYA is implemented in every middle and high school in California.

    Fact Sheet

    Toolkit for administrators and management

    Contraceptive Utilization and Access Among Cisgender Heterosexual and Bisexual California Women 

    Using data from the 2020 California Health Interview Survey, researchers examined the use of birth control and pregnancy intentions of cisgender heterosexual and bisexual women ages 18-44.

    Results show that while many women of color in California are using contraception, women of color were overrepresented among those not using contraception relative to White, non-Hispanic women. Lower income women, those who were uninsured or had Medi-Cal, and those who did not have a usual source of health care were less likely to use contraception. 

    Read the report 

    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
  • Commentary

    CRHLP Legal and Policy Director Diana Kasdan and Senior Staff Attorney Amanda Barrow published an article in State Court Report  examining how state courts are approaching history and tradition after Dobbs, with a focus on its evolving role in state court abortion decisions.

    Read more here.

    Staff Attorney Cathren Cohen explains a recent decision from a Michigan lower court, which struck down three abortion restrictions as unconstitutional under the state’s Reproductive Freedom for All amendment, passed by voters in 2022.

    Read more here.

    CRHLP Senior Staff Attorney Amanda Barrow and CRHLP Legal Fellow Sofia Espinoza explain the Trump Administration’s recent filing requesting the court dismiss or transfer Missouri v. FDA, which challenges FDA decisions that have made it easier to access mifepristone.

    Read more here.

    CRHLP Legal Extern Tarj Patel discusses Medina and its far-reaching implications for Medicaid coverage, provider choice, and health equity. Patel explores the significant impacts – highlighted by hundreds of amici -- to reproductive and essential health care, especially for low-income communities, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

    Read more here.

    CRHLP Staff Attorney Cathren Cohen's commentary on the 2024 election and the wins in ballot measures to protect abortion rights.

    Read more here.

    CRHLP Executive Director Melissa Goodman discuss California's new law SB 729.

    Read more here.   

    CRHLP Senior Staff Attorney Amanda Barrow summarizes a recent Texas challenge to HIPAA rules protecting patient health information.

    Read more here.   

    CRHLP Staff Attorney Cathren Cohen details Recent Legal and Policy Developments in Young People’s Reproductive Health Care Rights.

    Read more here.  

    CRHLP Staff’s Top 5 Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s oral argument in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA 

    Read more here. 

    CRHLP Staff Reflect on the Amicus Brief they filed in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. 

    Read more here.   

    CRHLP staff summarize two important policy briefs about increasing access to emergency contraception in California pharmacies. Read more here.

    CRHLP staff reflect on the news of the Supreme Court's decision to consider the case challenging access to the abortion medication mifepristone, and what this could mean for abortion access across the country. Read more here. 

    CRHLP Law Fellow Jaclyn Serpico reflects on election results from Ohio where voters approved Issue 1, enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution. Read more here.

  • 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.

  • Election Impact Explainer Series

    For the 2024 Presidential Election, CRHLP has put together a series of explainers meant to explore key topics related to reproductive health, rights, and family planning that will be impacted by the Presidential election.

    By offering a clear explanation of how these issues are at stake in this election, we hope to empower voters to have conversations with friends, family, and colleagues on these important issues.

    Please find information and links to the series below:

    How a National Abortion Ban is at Stake in this Election 

    This resource explains how transition documents, the party platform, and policy statements demonstrate that a new Trump Administration intends to take actions that would ban or severely restrict abortion access in every state, including:  

    • Enforcing the Comstock Act 
    • Revoking FDA Approval of or Severely Restricting Access to Mifepristone 
    • Advancing “Fetal Personhood” in the Law 

    To access the explainer, How a National Abortion Ban is at Stake in this Election, click here.

    This resource examines:

    • The Republican Party's endorsement of personhood 
    • How personhood undermines access to IVF 
    • The implications of this election for access to fertility treatment

    To access the explainer click here.

    How This Election Could Affect Access to Contraception

    This resource examines how a new Trump Administration would put access to contraception at risk in four key ways:

    • Restricting Title X Funding for Family Planning Service Providers  
    • Repealing the Affordable Care Act and No-Cost Contraceptive Coverage
    • Broadening Contraceptive Coverage Conscience Exemptions if the ACA Is Not Repealed
    • Mischaracterizing Certain Forms of Contraception as Abortion

    To access the explainer click here.

  • Shield Laws for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care: A State Law Guide

    Shield Laws for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care: A State Law Guide provides analysis of each state's shield laws. The map shows which states have shield laws. To access the guide and learn more about each state's specific protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care click here.

  • Widespread Opposition to Abortion Bans and Criminalization of Reproductive Health Care

    CRHLP has launched a new database of 272 statements made since Dobbs opposing abortion bans and criminalization of reproductive health care organizations across various sectors.

    This database demonstrates widespread opposition to the Dobbs decision, abortion bans, and restrictions on reproductive health care, including wider pregnancy and health care criminalization, from organizations representing a diverse array of industries, including health, medicine, law, education, labor, social science, and human rights, as well as private businesses, religious groups, and advocates.

    This resource aims to support efforts to oppose the criminalization of health care. You can access the database here.

    The creation of this database was made possible by generous funding from the Collaborative for Gender and Reproductive Equity.

  • Mother Infant Cash Coalition partnership

    A partnership with the MICC, a group of direct cash transfer programs around the nation that are focused specifically on pregnant and parenting people. We’re working with them to conduct policy analysis, write briefs, and synthesize their member programs’ findings. Our Research Table compiles results from all studied pilots in order to draw faster, wider, and more accurate conclusions about the impacts of direct cash on a meta-level.

Media

For Students

  • Pro Bono Opportunities

    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 have seen 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.

  • Post-Grad Fellowships

    No opportunities are available at this time.

  • 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. 

Opportunities

News
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Apr 18, 2025

Melissa Goodman speaks with Stacker Media on the prevalence and future of IVF across the country

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Mar 19, 2025

The Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy's research about abortion shield laws is cited by NPR

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Aug 22, 2024

Melissa Goodman talks to Roll Call about the election and reproductive rights

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Events
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07 10
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Webinar via Zoom
The Court and LGBTQ Rights: Understanding the Impact of Skrmetti and Mahmoud

Join us for a discussion on the Supreme Court’s recent rulings in two LGBTQ-related cases and the broader implications of these decisions.

Read More