What Does the Dobbs Decision Mean?

In June of 2022, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of Dobbs v. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That ruling overturned Roe v. Wade and over 50 years of precedent - cases which indicated that the implicit right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution prevented states from outlawing women’s right to an abortion before the viabiity of the fetus.

The reaction was immediate. Large demonstrations were held across the country, since polls had repeatedly shown that a significant majority of Americans support women’s right to control their own bodies and have abortions in most circumstances. A number of states, including “red”states, where legislation limited or prevented abortion have since passed constitutional amendments guaranteeing the right in those states.

What does the Dobbs decision mean, about the direction of the Supreme Court, about legal precedent threatening other decisions granting rights (e.g. same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, etc.)? What does it mean for the country and the separatin of church and state?

On March 18, 2024, Prof. Tom Jorde will explore these and other issues surrounding the case at the monthly meeting of the Oakmont Progressives. Prof. Jorde was a law clerk for Justice Brennan on the Supreme Court and a co-founder of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU (www.brennancenter.org). He is a Professor Emeritus at Cal Berkeley School of Law, where he taught for many years, and he is a captivating speaker who has made two presentations here for the Oakmont Sunday Symposium.