MCWLA Board Statement on US Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

(Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, June 24, 2022) 

We are deeply saddened, frustrated, angered (there aren’t enough adjectives) by the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, to overturn the 50-year-old precedent and landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade.

The purposes for which MCWLA was formed include stimulating interest in and encouraging the discussion of legal issues of concern to women and promoting the welfare and common interests of women in the legal profession, the judiciary, and the community. Additionally, our organization is designed to provide a space for collective action and expression in these matters.

Government intrusion into the private healthcare decisions between a woman and her doctor is an intrusion into women’s fundamental rights.  The responsibilities placed on women are constantly mounting and the ability of a woman to work with her healthcare professional to decide whether and when to bear children is fundamental to her personhood and an individual decision affecting her freedom.  Indeed, no other liberty is more fundamental than that of bodily autonomy.  The Court’s decision finding that the Constitutional right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” guaranteed by the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment does not include this right to privacy and bodily autonomy is deeply problematic and as legal advocates, this concerns our organization.

Against the backdrop of numerous conspicuous attacks on our democracy over the preceding years, it leaves us incredibly concerned about the future of this great nation.

The legal precedent overturned in Dobbs is the same precedent that protects the right of married couples to obtain and use contraceptives; prevents states from enacting laws banning sexual activity by same-sex couples; and acknowledges same-sex couples’ legal right to marry.  Thus, the Dobbs decision is only the beginning.

We can no longer sit idly by and watch as our democracy is pillaged, and as justice is denied. We welcome our members to use our organization as a space for discussion and collective action. We encourage our members to reach out to the organization as we continue to discuss productive actions our organization could take in an effort to protect women’s rights.

-The MCWLA Board of Directors