Harvard Law Students for Reproductive Justice

Welcome to the JD Class of 2013, and the LLM Class of 2011!

Dear Incoming 1Ls,

On behalf of HLS for Reproductive Justice, welcome to Harvard!

HLS for Reproductive Justice is the Harvard branch of a nationwide organization, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, that focuses on the promotion of reproductive justice as a central civil and human right.

What is reproductive justice? Reproductive justice encapsulates the right to make informed choices about one’s body, one’s sexuality, and one’s desire (or not) for a family. It includes topics like sex education, contraceptives, abortion, family
planning, female genital mutilation, and healthcare. Beyond that, reproductive justice is part of a larger fabric of civil and human rights, intricately connected to social justice issues like education, healthcare, development, and socio-economic equality.

The mission of HLSRJ is to advocate for the promotion of reproductive rights and to educate Harvard students about reproductive justice issues facing women across different spheres – domestic and international, from different ethnic and cultural communities, and from varying economic backgrounds. One of our goals this year is to explore how challenges to reproductive justice change in different contexts. With this in mind, we are excited to put on a mini-conference entitled, “Embedded Bodies: Reproductive Justice in Social Context,” which will take place mid-October.

As law students, we are also interested in exploring reproductive justice from an academic perspective. In November, Profs. Linda Greenhouse and Reva Siegal will be talking with us about their new book, Before Roe v. Wade: Voices that Shaped the Abortion Debate before the Supreme Court’s Ruling. We’ll be considering how narratives about reproductive justice develop, and how we can
apply this insight to future strategies for advancing women’s reproductive rights.

Best of all, it’s not all serious – in the spring, HSLRJ will host our second annual Sex Ed Trivia Night, which was a resounding hit last year and a great way for Harvard students to show off their sex ed knowledge (legal and extralegal!).

These are only three examples of some of the many exciting events we have planned for the upcoming 2010-11 school year. If you’d like to get involved with us, or if you just want to learn more about reproductive justice, we’d love to meet you! Look for us at the Student Activies Fair in September to sign up for our mailing list and learn about ways to get involved (and pick up some free condoms and chocolate!). If you have any questions about HSLRJ, feel free to email me (Evelyn).

Again, welcome to Harvard, and we look forward to meeting you!

Evelyn Atkinson,
President, HLS for Reproductive Justice

Check out this recent story on our Sex Ed Trivia Night

Upcoming Events

Stay tuned! Check back here soon.

Past Events

Reproductive Justice: It’s Always Been More Than Abortion
Study Group with Kim Gandy and guest Loretta Ross
Wednesday, October 7, 4:00pm-5:30pm
Harvard Kennedy School
—Meet at 3:45 in front of the Hark to walk over together.
More info is here

Reproductive Rights and the Right to Information
Cosponsored with Harvard Law School Human Rights Program
Friday, October 9, 9:15am-1pm
Pound 335
More info, and a link to RSVP for lunch, is here, Cheese, and Condoms Welcome Social
Wednesday, September 30, 7pm-9pm
Pound 332

Boston NOW Counter-Protest
Sunday, October 4, 1:30pm
At the corner of Charles St. and Beacon St. (in front of Starbucks, across from Boston Common)
More info is here

Welcome to Harvard’s chapter of LSRJ

To join our listserv, please email our Communications Chair.

HLS Parenting Initiative

The HLS Parenting Initiative is a school-wide project led by HLS for Reproductive Justice and the Society for Life, Law, and Religion. Over the course of the semester, the Initiative will take a close look at what the law school is doing to support pregnant and parenting students, will delineate areas for improvement, and will advocate around those issues.
If you would like more information, please email Ashley Gorski.

Articles

Sex ed trivia night
Academics address continuing legal challenges facing abortion
Abortion foes join forces to promote parenting
Without a course on reproductive justice, there’s no choice at Harvard Law
Auto Insurance Quotes
h3. HLS for Reproductive Justice Board 2010-2011

President: Evelyn Atkinson
Vice President: Poppy Alexander
Treasurer: Kristi Jobson
Campus Issues Chair: Ryan Blodgett
Recruitment/Outreach Chair: Hilary D’Angelo
3L Representatives: Cari Simon, Kate Hicks, Kathyrn Chiu, Jenny Lee, Helen Beasley, Stephanie Young

HLS for Reproductive Justice Board 2009-2010

President: Stephanie Young
Vice President: Cari Simon
Treasurer: Kate Hicks
Secretary: Kathryn Chiu
Campus Issues Chair: Jenny Lee
President Emerita: Ashley Gorski
3L Representatives: Lauren Seffel, Jonathan Gingerich, Brittany Rogers, Katie Kriegman
1L Representatives: Evelyn Atkinson, Ryan Blodgett, Hilary D’Angelo

HLS for Reproductive Justice Board 2008-2009

President: Ashley Gorski
Treasurer: Brittany Rogers
Outreach Chair: Lauren Seffel
Recruitment and Communications Chair: Jonathan Gingerich
Secretary: Katie Kriegman
President Emerita: Megan Hughes
Research Director: Andrew Kalloch
3L Representatives: Lela Klein, Elizabeth Gerber
1L Representatives: Stephanie Young, Kate Hicks, Harriet Pinkney, and Defne Ozgediz