Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice (SoCal LARJ)

Who We Are

UCLA Law's Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy; the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles - together with a range of law firms, government agencies, and advocacy organizations - have come together as the Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice (SoCal LARJ). 

Our Advisory Council is comprised of the State of California Office of the Attorney General, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California Women’s Law Center, FPA Women’s Health, If/When/How, Lawyers for Good Government, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Health Law Program, the National Women’s Law Center, and various Planned Parenthood affiliates.  

Modeled on similar coalitions in New York, San Francisco, and elsewhere, we aim to bring together the legal profession in Southern California to provide pro bono representation concerning abortion and other reproductive rights and justice issues. We believe the legal profession needs a united front to counter an array of new, draconian reproductive healthcare restrictions, which include civil and criminal penalties, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision.  

We've matched service providers, advocates, and others working to advance reproductive justice with some of the top law firms in the country. More than 45 local and national firms have joined us to undertake work on a full range of legal matters. On May 2, 2023, the anniversary of the leak of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, SoCal LARJ launched a legal hotline. The new number, 310-206-4466, will be monitored daily and is staffed by lawyers ready to assist. You can also reach us by email at larj@law.ucla.edu

Logos for UCLA Law’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy; the State of California Office of the Attorney General; the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

How to Join

From left: Grace Meng, Nancy Abell, Lara Stemple, and Cary Franklin
The post-Dobbs landscape and the launch of SoCal LARJ were discussed at UCLA’s LEAD Summit.

Law firms interested in joining SoCal LARJ are invited to fill out this survey to indicate the interest and capacity they have to take on new matters. Or, email us directly with any questions before filling out the survey. Firms may be asked to consider requests for legal support from patients, providers, advocates, and others in Southern California and beyond. No engagement letter is required. 

Non-law firm advocacy organizations who are interested in participating in SoCal LARJ should also email us directly. We continue to receive input from and make connections between organizations working on these topics, and we are interested in learning about any unmet legal needs.  

Resources and Training for SoCal LARJ Lawyers

We recognize that some firms and lawyers have undertaken work on reproductive rights and justice topics for many years. Others may be newer to these topics. For those who do not have in-depth experience in these matters we urge you to review the following materials from trusted sources before undertaking work on these topics. 

We also ask that you watch for announcements about trainings and CLE sessions related to this field which we will circulate via email. 

Finally, individual lawyers who would like access to a range of recorded training materials should join the If/When/How’s RJ Lawyers Network.

News
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Jun 25, 2024

Melissa Goodman appears on Spectrum News 1 to talk about the impact of abortion restrictions

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Jun 24, 2024

Cathren Cohen is quoted by the Christian Science Monitor on abortion access two years after Dobbs

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