CRIMINALIZATION AND DEFENSE OF ABORTION AND PREGNANCY LOSS
(LAWD-4095) - 2 UNITS

We will explore how abortion is being criminalized across the U.S. We will focus on the impacts on people who themselves seek abortion, doctors who perform abortions, and helping organizations and individuals who assist pregnant people with procuring abortion. We will look at how states are limiting abortion access and the legal requirements and punishments. We will also examine the unintended collateral consequences such as increased maternal fatality and infant mortality. We will also examine how various criminal cases are being investigated, prosecuted, and defended. We will examine how the criminalization and limiting of abortion access impacts young pregnant people seeking abortion care, including parental consent laws and the capacity of youthful pregnant persons to determine their own futures, even when under 18 years old. We will probe how these laws are functioning to control the lives of pregnant people of color and those who are marginalized through geography and socio-economics.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
Criminal Law (LAWD-1001)