Call it beginner’s luck:  my first year in law school and the first-ever Law Students for Reproductive Justice South Regional conference just so happen to coincide, and for one fruitful day, my activist, academic, and professional worlds were temporarily united.  The conference started with presentations by two women near and dear to my RJ-heart:  Heidi Williamson of Sistersong and Tonya Williams of SPARK Reproductive Justice Now.

Anyone wondering about whether the RJ movement is alive and kicking in the south had their fears alleviated by the time these remarkable women finished speaking.  Both Ms. Williamson and Dr. Williams did a fantastic job of explaining the concept of reproductive justice, and they did an even better job of explaining the significance the term has in the South, where reproductive justice work faces particular challenges. (more…)

As I sat in the audience at Friday’s symposium on “Law, Gender & Citizenship: Contemporary Issues for American Indians and American Immigrants,” I was shocked by what I learned about the endemic sexual violence perpetrated against Native American women in the United States.  Data indicates that a minimum of one out of three Native American women has been the victim of sexual violence.  One of the speakers shared that in conducting her research she had yet to talk with a Native American woman who had not been the victim of sexual violence.  Research further shows that 80% of perpetrators of these crimes are non-Native American persons.  High rates of women being violently sexually assaulted by men not of her ethnic or racial group, like this, are the type of statistics I have come to associate with war zones rather than common life experiences. 

The violence perpetrated against Native American women, however, is only one of the many offenses carried out against them.  The U.S. government under the responsibilities assigned to Indian Health Services (HIS) is responsible for providing all health care services Native American Indians.  However, the U.S. government and IHS have failed to meet this mandate.  Native American Indians must often travel long distances to reach health facilities whose services are limited.  (more…)

Last weekend I went to the posh city of Atlanta, GA and was greeted by the wonderful ladies of Georgia State University College of Law’s LSRJ chapter. I want send a special thank you to my host Sarah Scott…she WAS AWESOME!!!

The South Regional Conference discussed issues about human trafficking, Reproductive Justice Asylum cases and LGBT issues within Immigration Law.

I thank you for the wonderful panel of speakers from SisterSong, Alia El Sawi, Dazon Dixon Diallo, our very own Jill Adams just to name a few. These ladies brought knowledge and showed commitment to the LSRJ struggle.

I am truly excited about the work that needs to be done in the southern region! It is most comforting to know that there are committed men and women gaining a legal education and equipping ourselves with tools to adequately combat these issues.

Law school as we all know is hard, but it’s encouraging to know we share a common goal.  I wish everyone a safe spring break and thank you for taking the time out to read this blog.

Jennifer Ngoie

I was delighted to attend the Northeast Regional LSRJ Conference at New York Law School on February 13, 2010. Leigh Campbell and Courtney Patterson did an excellent job organizing.  The theme was “The New War on Reproductive Justice: The Changing Tactics of the Anti-Choice Movement.”  The following are the primary pieces of information I took away from each informative panel.

Jordan Goldberg from the Center for Reproductive Rights and Alexa Kolbi-Molinas from the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project discussed the importance of acting on a state and local level, rather than focusing only on Supreme Court decisions. The state representatives are much more likely to listen to individual members of their constituencies, meaning that time spent contacting legislators is certainly not wasted.  Currently, there is legislation in many states throughout the country aimed at redefining life and personhood.  If this legislation is passed it could effectively outlaw abortion, many forms of contraception and emergency contraception in that state. Additionally, it would open the doors to criminal charges on behalf of the fetus.  Needless to say, the implications are staggering and those developments are worth following.

Sabrina Shulman, the Political Director at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, talked about the latest strategies of the anti-choice movement.  Ms. Shulman described the movement as being an “under-the-radar campaign of fear and intimidation.”  The most startling aspect to me (more…)