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Diversity Week — The Fallout Effects of Dobbs: Navigating the Ever Changing Landscape of Reproductive Rights

Diversity Week — The Fallout Effects of Dobbs: Navigating the Ever Changing Landscape of Reproductive Rights In-Person

In June of 2022, the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned a nearly 50 year precedent, Roe v. Wade, effectively eliminating a constitutional right to abortion. This decision has led to a series of changes in legislation across the nation as various “trigger laws” take effect in certain states. Texas’ own trigger law, HB 1280, prohibits all abortions except in the case of medical emergencies. In a post-Roe world, access to abortion is now more restrictive than ever, especially for women of color.

Join APALSA and BLSA on Wednesday, October 19th at 12:00pm to hear about the significance of this decision from our wonderful panelists: Marsha Jones, Professor Joanna Grossman, Anna Rupani, and Dr. Theresa Patton. This panel will focus on the restrictions to access women now face, how this decision affects women of color, and what this decision means for other areas of healthcare such as contraception and IVF.  

Hosted by APALSA and BLSA.  Boxed lunches from Brunchaholics for all who RSVP! 

Registrations for lunch have now closed, but all are still welcome to attend the program. 


Marsha Jones, a Texas native, is co-founder and executive director of The Afiya Center, the only reproductive justice organization in North Texas founded and directed by Black women. She is a national grassroots organizer, community mobilizer, professional speaker, and health educator with a commitment to transforming women and girls’ lives. She’s pledged to the development of leadership and engagement of activism among women by challenging harmful systemic and political constructs to advance the economic, health, and safety of women and girls. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is a graduate of the Black AIDS Institute's African American HIV University (Science and Community Mobilizing Fellowship Program) and Tyndale Theology School. Marsha has served on various boards and capacities as an act of service to honor of Black women. 

Joanna L. Grossman is the inaugural Ellen K. Solender Endowed Chair in Women and the Law. 
After graduating with distinction from Stanford Law School, Professor Grossman began her career as a clerk for Ninth Circuit Judge William A. Norris. She also worked as staff counsel at the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. as a recipient of the Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship. In addition, she practiced law at the Washington, D.C. firm of Williams & Connolly LLP.
Professor Grossman writes extensively on sex discrimination and workplace equality, with a particular focus on issues such as sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination. Her book, NINE TO FIVE:  HOW GENDER, SEX AND SEXUALITY CONTINUE TO DEFINE THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE (Cambridge, 2016), provides a lively and accessible discussion of contemporary cases and events that show gender continues to define the work experience in both predictable and surprising ways. She is also an expert in family law, especially parentage law and the state regulation of marriage.

Anna Rupani is a born and raised Texan and serves as the Executive Director of Fund Texas Choice. Prior to joining Fund Texas Choice as their first ever Executive Director, Anna was a practicing lawyer. She dedicated her legal career in the public interest and movement lawyering sector, focusing on serving undocumented immigrant survivors of trauma, abuse, gang violence, and human trafficking.
Fund Texas Choice (formerly Fund Texas Women) is a non-profit organization that pays for Texans’ travel to abortion clinics. The organization was formed in response to the passage of Texas House Bill 2, which closed nearly 75% of over 40 Texan clinics in 2013 and 2014. The closures were primarily in rural and low-income areas of the state, necessitating cost-prohibitive, time-wasting, and geographically-difficult travel for groups already facing financial obstacles to abortion. Fund Texas Choice continues to serve pregnant people who are seeking abortion-related services and information to the best of their abilities.

Dr. Theresa Patton completed a combined undergraduate and medical doctorate program at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Medical School and then did her OB/Gyn residency at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. She was highly recognized during her residency, receiving the Resident Research Award from MDMC’s Lectureship Series and also authoring a presentation selected by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for presentation at their annual clinical meeting. Dr. Patton has chosen to continue to practice in association with MDMC in order to train residents as a voluntary faculty member of the OB/Gyn Residency Program. Through this association she provides hands on training to the future physicians in the field. 
She has a particular area of expertise and interest in breastfeeding education for healthcare providers and patients alike. At Kessler Women’s Healthcare she functions as our onsite Medical Lactation Consultant and has lectured to medical providers and patients throughout Dallas/Fort Worth on the public health benefits of prolonged breastfeeding. 
Dr Patton is also a leader in the OBGyn Department at MDMC serving as its Department Chair from 2018-2022 and she is currently the Maternal Medical Director for MDMC, a position committed to a high quality of care for all pregnant persons treated at our hospital!
Dr. Patton is trained in daVinci Robotic Gyn Surgery and is certified to perform single site robotic hysterectomy and ovarian surgery. Her commitment to minimally invasive surgery helps each patient get back to her busy life as quickly as possible. As a busy mother herself, she understands there is no time for down time!

Date:
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Time:
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Time Zone:
Central Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:
Hillcrest Classroom, Underwood Law Library
Registration has closed.

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