Idea of the Day: The Courts Count When It Comes to Women’s Reproductive Rights

October 9, 2012

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As advocates, our battles are not limited to the legislative process. They also exist in the courts. For years, conservatives have put a strong emphasis on who dons the robes on the federal bench, understanding that a lifetime appointment can have just as important an impact as legislation, if not more so. But progressives have not made the courts as much of a priority.

While conservatives have been stacking the deck against women, appointing judges who will choose ideology over the law, we progressives have focused largely on legislative efforts, which are now in danger of being overturned by the same increasingly conservative judiciary. It is integral to the overall success of a progressive agenda that the president appoint and the Senate confirm men and women who will respect the law and protect women’s fundamental reproductive rights. And it is our responsibility as advocates to hold our elected officials to that standard.

For more on this topic, please see:

• Why Courts Matter: Reproductive Rights by April Carson and Liz Chen