June Medical and the Future of Reproductive Rights at SCOTUS

2020 will be a banner year for reproductive health and rights, with the U.S. Supreme Court reviewing a Louisiana law that requires physicians who provide abortion care to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of a clinic in June Medical Services v. Russo. In reviewing June Medical, the Court will decide whether the admitting privileges law is unconstitutional based on the Court's precedent in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt (2016). In that case, the Court struck down an identical Texas law, ruling that admitting privileges laws are unconstitutional because they shut down clinics without providing any health or safety benefits to patients. In addition to the substantive legal question, the Court is also considering whether clinics and doctors have the standing to bring lawsuits on behalf of their patients.  

Several other challenges to other laws restricting access to abortion are winding their way through the federal court systems. This year will see litigation developments on a variety of issues related to reproductive health in a number of forums that could reach SCOTUS in an upcoming term. 

This course, presented by Amanda Allen of the Lawyering Project, will review the Court's decision in June Medical, as well as major litigation developments regarding access to reproductive health services and what might be next for reproductive rights at SCOTUS.  

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the Court's holding in June Medical, and how it affects abortion rights jurisprudence, including the constitutional right to abortion and standing
2. Identify common legal claims made in challenging abortion restrictions
3. Discuss next steps for major court cases looking ahead to 2021