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SAVE THE DATE!
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LSRJ members, alums, and allies are all invited to attend a
Happy Hour
Open House
at LSRJ on
Friday, June 17
from 5:00-7:00 pm.
Come meet the newest members of LSRJ's Board of Directors and staff!
Drinks and appetizers will be provided.
RSVP to info@lsrj.org.
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Leadership Institute
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Every summer, LSRJ brings chapter leaders from around the country together for the annual Leadership Institute, Justice Doesn't Just Happen. This jam-packed, two-day conference provides campus leaders an opportunity to attend skills-building workshops, network with like-minded students, and learn from leading experts in the reproductive health, rights, and justice fields. Did you know that LSRJ provides a travel stipend and covers accommodation costs for one representative from every chapter! We do, so register today! Register here! |
Bowlin' for Repro Health!
LSRJ chapters from Temple, University of Texas, Drexel, and New York Law School all fundraised for the National Abortion Federation's second annual Bowl-a-Thon, and this year the National Office joined in the fun! Check out our Facebook page for pictures and add your own!
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Staff in Action
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The National Office staff have been busy this spring presenting on a wide range of RR/RJ issues. Recent appearances include: February * Jill Adams spoke on the closing plenary panel at the Transnational Gender Justice in the Americas conference at the University of Miami. * Jill presented Reproductive Justice 101 to a packed house at Florida A&M College of Law. * Sabrina Andrus presented RJ 101 at 3 Regional Conferences in Washington, D.C., San Diego, and Boston. March * Sabrina participated in a Women in the Law panel at Mills College. * Mariko Miki moderated a career panel at Berkeley Law School. * Sabrina presented RJ 101 at the South Regional Conference in Houston, Texas. April * Mariko and Shanelle Matthews represented LSRJ at the New Leaders Networking Initiative (NLNI) meeting and the Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP) conference in Massachusetts. * Jill guest lectured on abortion jurisprudence for a Women in the Law class at Mills College. * Jill spoke on a panel with Sophia Yen, MD and filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman discussing the past, present, and future of abortion rights at Stanford University. * Sabrina presented RJ 101 at Santa Clara Law School. |
We're Growing!
We are thrilled to welcome our new chapters from Santa Clara Law School, Cal Western School of Law in San Diego, the University of Virginia, and the University of Miami into the LSRJ family!Interested in getting a chapter started at your alma mater or current law school? Email Sabrina to get started!
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Featured Chapter
Univ. of Michigan ______________
We are consistently amazed by the incredible passion and creativity of our chapters and the University of Michigan chapter, led by Co-Chairs Sara Taylor (a summer 2010 LSRJ national office intern!) and Kate Gilbert, has not looked back since it worked to regain recognition in the Fall. The chapter's leaders hit the ground running by planning a fall event titled "The Judge Didn't Sentence Me to be Raped: Two Perspectives on Civil Litigation" that discussed the myriad issues women who are imprisoned face. One attendee said, " The Women in Prison event was definitely the best event I attended this year...[it was] a turning point in my first year of law school." It is certainly not surprising that the chapter was able to recruit a membership passionately dedicated to supporting the RJ movement. Kylee Sunderlin, chapter Special Projects Chair and 2011-2012 Midwest Regional Coordinator, tells us that " LSRJ is my activist haven. As a 1L trudging through doctrinal courses, it has provided me with a much needed forum to discuss the ways in which lawyers can work toward dismantling structural inequalities." In addition to several other engaging campus events, the Michigan chapter also successfully campaigned for an RJ course! Congratulations, Michigan LSRJ! We look forward to the amazing work you will provide in support of the RJ movement! |
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Honoring our Interns
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A big thanks to our hardworking legal intern Jeryl Hayes and undergrad intern Tatyana Brenner.
Over the past two semesters, Jeryl has spearheaded the outreach efforts of the Reaching and Recruiting Law Students of Color (RRLSOC) Initiative. Tatyana has overhauled LSRJ's fundraising and development files, among other feats.
We'll miss you both when you graduate and wish you the best!
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Dear LSRJ activists, alumni, allies, and amici:
As we all know, reproductive rights have been under an unprecedentedly egregious attack at federal and state levels during the last few months. This aggression of tactics coupled with the regression of rights have left many feeling discouraged about the present and dismal about the future. But here at LSRJ, we feel confident - even optimistic - about the future. Is this because we ignore the news or fail to appreciate the gravity of measures and messages designed to limit, prohibit, or shame people from doing what they know is best for themselves and for their families? To the contrary, we're acutely aware of the immediate and potential long-term implications of these dangerous trends. Yet, we're not all that worried.
We're not worried, because every day we engage with the brilliant, creative, passionate advocates who will protect, expand, and realize reproductive rights for all people - from the margins to the mainstream - for decades to come. Our members are the next generation of elected officials, policy makers, judges, and litigators who will help to reverse the tide of restrictions and prohibitions and work across sectors and movements to build a tidal wave of justice.
Future legal leaders are made - not born. To this end, we concentrate a significant amount of our limited resources on empowering, training, and nurturing new leaders who will cultivate legal expertise and support for the realization of reproductive justice. The #1 highest-impact leadership development event of the year is the Leadership Institute, which will be held at Berkeley Law July 30-31. With travel costs high and summer stipends low, students need financial assistance to get to the institute.
Please SPONSOR A STUDENT LEARNING TO LEAD by making a tax-deductible donation today. Each donation of $300 will cover one student's travel stipend. Each donation of $500 will cover one student's travel, accommodations, meals, and materials.
The law students we train today will go on to create lasting social change in the forms of progressive legislation, public policy, court victories, and pubic education campaigns.
FOSTER THE FUTURE -
SPONSOR A STUDENT LEARNING TO LEAD.
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Course Campaign Victories
Thanks to the amazing efforts of student leaders, the Course Campaign Working Group is proud to announce that four new Reproductive Justice courses are confirmed for the 2011-12 year: - Thomas Jefferson School of Law, to be taught by Professor Joy Dellman (Fall 2011)
- New York Law School, to be taught by adjunct professor Brigitte Amiri (Fall 2011)
- University of Michigan Law School, to be taught by Professor Edward Goldman (Winter 2012)
- University of Maryland School of Law, to be taught by Professor Leslie Meltzer-Henry (Spring 2012)
Are you interning in Washington, D.C. this summer? If so, register today (deadline May 9) to take Jill Morrison's Reproductive Rights Law and Justice seminar at UDC! If you're interested in starting a course campaign at your school, email Mariko@LSRJ.org.
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Three Organizing Awards Presented to LSRJ Chapters and Leaders
Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) chapter leaders accept their award at the West Regional Conference in San Diego.
Every year, LSRJ honors outstanding chapters and leaders for their innovative and enriching campus activism. Named after our visionary founder, this year the Cari Sietstra Award for Excellence in Organizing was given to an unprecedented three honorees. We congratulate each of them for their leadership and their passion for reproductive justice!
Laura Buchs ('11, University of Wisconsin): Not only did Laura beautifully fulfill her role as Midwest Regional Coordinator, planning a full day of panels and speakers for chapter leaders from around the Midwest, she is leaving her chapter stronger and more sustainable than when she found it. Laura was honored in part because she has made coalition building with Madison area reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations one of her top priorities during her tenure as chapter President. Wisconsin LSRJ is seen as a leader in the local movement for reproductive health and rights, and this is because Laura took the time to introduce the chapter to community clinics, legal organizations, and organizers from around the state.
Lillian Hewko ('11, University of Washington): Because of Lillian's leadership, the UW LSRJ chapter is the most active student organization on campus. They have hosted and co-sponsored engaging events such as a panel on the Washington state proposed ban on shackling of pregnant and birthing prisoners (the bill was passed and signed by the Governor!). Lillian spearheaded the chapter's campaign in contacting the WA State Board of Pharmacists when it decided to revisit its rule requiring timely dispensing of emergency contraceptives. And in her spare time, Lillian founded the Incarcerated Mother's Advocacy Project (IMAP), a coalition of law students, social service providers, activists, and formerly incarcerated women who seek to change the rights afforded incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. They believe that "the incarceration of women...and the separation of incarcerated women from their children...is a form of violence and reproductive oppression."
Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) LSRJ Chapter: One of our newest chapters, this group of dedicated student leaders have hit the ground running, to say the least! They boast an incredibly large membership, consistently coordinate phenomenal programming, and engage with their community by building lasting relationships with local reproductive rights organizations. On top of this, they hosted the 2011 West Regional Conference in their brand-new state of the art building!
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2011 Sarah Weddington Writing Prize Winners
In collaboration with the Center for Reproductive Rights, LSRJ is pleased to announce the winners of the sixth annual Sarah Weddington Writing Prize for New Student Scholarship! This year's theme was, "Beyond the Books: Realizing Reproductive Rights in Real Lives."
In addition to the monetary prize, the first place submission will be published in the New York University Review of Law and Social Change's upcoming volume. Please join us in congratulating the following winners:
1st Place:
Allison Hartry, J.D. candidate (UC Berkeley School of Law, 2012) for Birthright Justice: Birthright Citizenship and Reproductive Justice in Immigration Detention Centers
2nd Place:
Elizabeth J. Chen, J.D. candidate (Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, 2012) for Equal Protection: Why the HPV Vaccine Should be Mandated for Both Boys and Girls
3rd Place: Sarah Coburn, J.D. candidate (Temple University Beasley School of Law, 2011) for Obstructed Birth: Racism in Midwifery Regulation, the Emergence of the Certified Professional Midwife and the Need for Movement Building Full texts of the three winning submissions will be available on the LSRJ website very soon.
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California LSRJ Members and Alums Engage in Legislative Advocacy at the State Capital
 Top l to r: Christine Poquiz (UC Davis), Sabrina Andrus (LSRJ), Catrina Skor (TJSL), Thomas Anderson (TJSL), Aliya Karmali ('09 USF), Jessica Rubenstein (LSRJ), Jill Adams (LSRJ)
Bottom l to r: Catherine Groat (Santa Clara), Shanelle Matthews (LSRJ), Mariko Miki (LSRJ), Martin Quinones (UC Berkeley),
Tatyana Brenner (LSRJ Intern)
Law students interested in reproductive health, rights, and justice often find that they are not able to learn about the full range of advocacy tools while in law school. Legislative advocacy courses are few and far between and this year, LSRJ was thrilled to be able to offer scholarships to California LSRJ members that brought them to Sacramento for the annual Reproductive Freedom Day (RFD), an event coordinated by the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (CCRF).
LSRJ hosted a delegation of twelve members, alums, and staff the day before RFD for an in-depth training on legislative policymaking in California and the intricacies of the bill we would be advocating for, Assembly Bill 499. AB 499 allows minors 12 and older to consent to preventive STD treatment.
"The training was great...[the speakers] presented excellent ideas and I felt very much prepared to speak with knowledge on the topic of AB 499 and LSRJ!"
The following day, we headed over to Sacramento for a full day of legislative advocacy training, lobby visits, breakout workshops, and dynamic speakers. We networked with community organizers, health care providers, lawyers, and activists from around the state and came away with a more nuanced understanding of policymaking in California.
"I'm so glad I had the opportunity to participate in RFD 2011!"
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Regional Conferences a Smashing Success!
 Attendees at the Midwest Regional Conference at the
University of Wisconsin
An unprecedented 150+ LSRJ members convened over five weekends in the early spring to learn about cutting edge RJ issues, share their campus activism successes and challenges with one another, and network with leading experts in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements. Check out our Facebook page for pictures from each conference!
The Midwest Region kicked off the Regional Conference season with a day-long conference on January 29th called Reproductive Justice Through the Looking Glass at the University of Wisconsin. One of the highlights of the day occurred during lunch, when attendees got to hear about the origins of the RJ movement from Toni Bond Leanord, Executive Director at Black Women for Reproductive Justice in Chicago.
On February 5th, the University of the District of Columbia hosted the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, Reproductive Oppression in Communities of Color. Attendees, led by Dr. Willie Parker from Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington, discussed the recent billboard campaign to portray abortion as genocide, and were uplifted by the Reverend Dr. Alethea Smith-Withers from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
Next up was the West Regional Conference, which focused on Immigration and Reproductive Justice, and was held at Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) in San Diego on February 19th (just in time for the one weekend it rained!). The sunny disposition of our members more than made up for the weather, however! Over 40 students came together in the brand-new TJSL building and heard from speakers about community organizing, the unique reproductive struggles of bi-national individuals, and RJ issues in immigration detention.
The Northeast Regional Conference, At the Intersection of Environmental & Reproductive Justice: Overlapping Issues and Advocacy, was held on February 26th at Harvard Law School and featured riveting speakers discussing the the prevalence of harmful toxins in low-income neighborhoods, the un-regulated nature of cosmetics, and challenges facing communities of color.
The South Regional Conference, in its second year, was held on March 5th at the University of Houston Law Center and focused on Reproductive Justice in the South. Attendees were led by Houston LSRJ members in a discussion about abstinence-only education, heard about the unique challenges facing the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements from two women involved in the legislative process in Texas, and learned about new studies on reproductive coercion in the domestic violence realm.
A huge thank you to our outgoing Regional Coordinators, Laura Buchs (Wisconsin), Rachel Metelits (University of Arizona), Sarah Clarke (TJSL), Lauren Wallace (UDC), Jess Wilkerson (Vermont Law School), and Kristen Young (University of Houston), all of whom provided us with thought-provoking, cutting edge, and engaging RJ programming at this year's Regional Conferences!
LSRJ congratulates our new Regional Coordinators, who will be responsible for planning next year's programming:
West: Sarah Gosling (UC Hastings) & Hillary Hansen (UC Hastings)
Midwest: Kylee Sunderlin (University of Michigan)
South: Agata Pelka (University of North Carolina) & Chelsea Uhlman (Charlotte Law School)
Mid-Atlantic: Nikola Nable-Juris (University of Maryland)
Northeast: Mark Wheeler (New York Law School)
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Please join us in welcoming the 2011-12 class of
RJ Fellows and Placement Organizations
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What are the current RJ Fellows up to?
With the inaugural year of the RJFP now more than 6 months underway, the RJ Fellows continue to make a remarkable impact on Washington, D.C. and beyond! RJ Fellows Jaspreet Chowdhary (NAPAWF), Dani Hawkes (Latina Institute), and Davida Silverman (NHeLP) recently presented on panels about sex selection abortion bans, immigration and RJ, and health care reform and Medicaid at the 2011 CLPP conference on Reproductive Justice at Hampshire College.  | | At CLPP: Jessi Leigh Swenson, Alex Walden, Davida Silverman, Dani Hawkes, Mariko Miki, Jaspreet Chowdhary, and Jill Adams |
Come meet all six of the RJ Fellows at the LSRJ - National Women's Law Center co-sponsored Summer Intern Training on Reproductive Rights Law & Policy in Washington, D.C. on Friday, June 3. Registration information available soon! |
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With sincerity and in solidarity,
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
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