JUNE 24, 2022 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - It is with heavy hearts and determined minds that Queen’s Bench issues this statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southern Pa. v. Casey. Today, the Supreme Court proclaimed what many see as the beginning of the end of a woman’s right to choose—finding there is no fundamental right for women to access abortions in the U.S. Constitution. The decision will have lasting effects on reproductive health and fundamental rights, hitting hardest those with the fewest resources.
While hard to see at this moment, the decision provides an opportunity for women and men across the country to stand up and take action for reproductive justice. Dobbs is both a wakeup call and a call to action. Queen’s Bench is committed to responding to the call and continuing this fight.
As many of you reviewing the Dobbs decision may find, this decision rests on dubious legal grounds. It relies on Brown v. Board of Education, a case based on the 14th Amendment in which the Court found that “[i]n approaching this problem, we cannot turn the clock back to 1868, when the Amendment was adopted, or even to 1896, when Plessy v. Ferguson was written. We must consider public education in the light of its full development and its present place in American life throughout the Nation.” Had the Supreme Court actually followed the precedent it relied upon to justify overruling Roe and Casey, it would have looked to the “present place” these decisions have in “American life throughout the Nation.” Until today, abortion was legal and protected in the United States. Multiple generations of American women relied on Roe, Casey and the 14th Amendment’s right to privacy to make reproductive decisions; such decisions impacted not only their health, but also their ability to pursue educational, political and career goals. The 14th Amendment also forms the basis for many momentous Supreme Court decisions impacting our everyday lives, including same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships, interracial marriage and contraception – some of which Justice Thomas advocates reconsidering in his concurrence in Dobbs.
Please join our efforts to defend these rights and support women across this country. Queen’s Bench will be holding a virtual lunch event on July 14, 2022 at 12 p.m. to provide a safe space for anyone that wants to discuss the Dobbs decision and its impact. We also will have a series of panel discussions regarding the issues raised by the Dobbs decision and anticipate presenting the first panel in August. In addition, California Women Lawyers (CWL) will be hosting two Zoom listening sessions, on June 27, 2022 at 10 a.m. and June 28, 2022 at 5:30 p.m., that we encourage our members to attend.
Queen’s Bench will continue to fight for women’s equality and reproductive justice.
Addendum as of June 24, 2026: Members may view recordings of the two events hosted following the Dobbs decision on YouTube via the links provided below.
The Next Era of the Fight for Reproductive Justice, Part I
The Next Era of the Fight for Reproductive Justice, Part II
