What’s the Harm?: Understanding Reproductive Injustice

On Friday, October 30th, legal academics, activists, litigators, social scientists, and doctors came together at NYU School of Law for “What’s the Harm?: Understanding Reproductive Injustice,” a symposium cosponsored by NYU's Carr Center for Reproductive Justice and Reproductive Justice Clinic and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The convening was especially timely given the Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear Whole Women’s Health v. Cole this term, the unprecedented attacks on Planned Parenthood over the past year, and the increasing criminalization of pregnant women under child abuse and neglect statutes.

Panelists explored the harm of restrictive reproductive healthcare laws by looking at women’s experience with pregnancy, birthing, abortion, access to healthcare, and the criminal justice system. They considered the impact of the laws on the practice of medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, and patient choice and dignity. Panelists addressed the role of scientific and medical expertise in legislatures and courts and explored how recent abortion jurisprudence may have wider implications for constitutional law.

Videos of the symposium panels and a case study are available online: Panel 1: Harm to the Law, Panel 2: Harm to Pregnancy and Childbirth, Panel 3: Harm to Women.  Professor Richard Epstein's symposium comments on the implications that abortion jurisprudence may have on constitutional law are reflected in a recent piece he published in Newsweek.

We have invited symposium participants to guest blog. Look for their blogs over the next few weeks.