Prerequisite: By permission of instructor. Interested students should send resume and statement of interest to Deema Qashat (dqashat@law.harvard.edu). Reading groups are capped at 12 total students. Applications for JDs are due on April 13th and LLMs/transfers on August 1st, and dependent on availability, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis going forward.

Exam Type: No Exam

This reading group will focus on pro-life litigation and strategic advocacy (legal and political), with a specific focus on issues related to prohibitions on abortion after Dobbs v. Jackson (2022). We will consider historical, scientific, philosophical, and legal-doctrinal foundations related to pro-life advocacy; consider contested legal issues after Dobbs (such as fetal personhood, extraterritoriality, and the right to travel); and analyze the strategic decisions faced by those involved in litigation and pursuing legislative change in a post-Dobbs era. The reading group will feature guest speakers from pro-life organizations and advocacy groups.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/29, 11/19, 12/3