Covering the Bases: Tracking Legal Efforts for Abortion Nationwide

This page aims to track legal and policy resources related to abortion and to list the many legal research tools and abortion defense efforts happening across the U.S. today. It includes work done at the state and national levels, undertaken by NGOs, law firms, and governments. The content is meant to be an evolving collection of resources that will be updated regularly; please contact Cathren Cohen with any suggested additions or changes (cohenc@law.ucla.edu). If you or your organization is in need of legal services, please feel free to contact SoCal LARJ.

Mapping the National Legal Landscape

Center for Reproductive Rights

Guttmacher Institute

Kaiser Family Foundation

Repro Organizations

Patient-Focused Abortion Finders

Local, State, and Regional Pro Bono Partnerships

National Efforts

Federal Action

  • Executive Orders

    Executive Orders

    • EOs in July and August 2022 on protecting access to repro healthcare
    • Protect medication abortion, access to contraception (ACA), consumer protection, convene volunteer lawyers (including on right to travel)
  • Department of Health and Human Services

    Department of Health and Human Services

    • New HIPAA guidance, new data privacy guide
    • In January 2022, announced Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force to coordinate activities across HHS to protect and bolster repro health & rights
      • Includes eliminating policy barriers, data collection, eliminating health disparities, partnerships, and destigmatizing repro health care.
  • ReproductiveRights.gov

    ReproductiveRights.gov

    • Offers “know your rights” on abortion, emergency care, etc., and how to file patient privacy or nondiscrimination complaint with Office of Civil Rights
  • Department of Justice and White House Volunteer Lawyers Convening

    Department of Justice and White House Volunteer Lawyers Convening

    • July 29 convening of more than 200 lawyers, advocates, firms, bar associations, legal aid, repro groups, and law schools.
      • Call to action for firms to commit minima um of 500 hours to defending reproductive rights.
  • Department of Justice Reproductive Rights Task Force

    Department of Justice Reproductive Rights Task Force

    • Formalization of existing work group identifying ways to protect access to repro health care.
    • Monitor and evaluate state and local legislation and enforcement actions which will infringe on federal protections, repro health care access, impair informed consent, ban medication abortion, and impose criminal or civil liability.

    Related:

News
See All
Mar 19, 2025

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

Read More
Aug 22, 2024

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

Read More