The end of Roe: how the conservative legal movement eroded protections for abortion and contraceptive care

Abstract

Many battles over reproductive rights have occurred in the legal sphere, behind the scenes of mainstream politics, through litigation and interest group influence over politicians and the courts. This research will focus on the conservative legal movement against the rights to abortion and contraception. The paper will be divided into three sections: the first will establish the major organizations and religious influences involved in the conservative movement, their coalition-building strategies, and the challenges they have faced. The second will examine the incrementalist approach of slowly chipping away at abortion and contraception rights, with focus on limiting financial access and increasing allowance for government regulations. The third will discuss the movement’s attempts to completely overturn Roe v. Wade (1973), culminating in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) decision, and the future of reproductive autonomy in law. The conservative legal movement has been incredibly successful in limiting access to reproductive healthcare and reversing Roe, but now faces an uncertain future.