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Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

Northwestern experts discuss the Supreme Court ruling and how it impacts precedent regarding reproductive and abortion rights

A panel of Northwestern University experts, listed below, convened a virtual news conference Friday, June 24, to offer their expertise on the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health organization that will dramatically re-shape the legal reality of abortion care in the United States.

The panel fielded questions from reporters about the outcome of the Dobbs case and its implications for the future of abortion policy and reproductive healthcare in the U.S.

Their comments are summarized on Northwestern Now.

Read more about Northwestern experts available to discuss this and other major SCOTUS rulings.

Reproductive rights panelists

TJ Billard

Assistant professor in the School of Communication

Billard is affiliated with the Center for Communication and Public Policy and the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing. They are a leading expert on transgender politics and the media.

Laura B. Nielsen

Professor and chair of the department of sociology, and director of legal studies at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

A research professor for the American Bar Foundation, Nielsen's focus areas are sociology of law, inequality, gender and race.

Dr. Cassing Hammond

Associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Cassing is a physician with expertise in family planning, contraception and abortion — including in medically compromised patients.

Melissa Simon

Vice chair for research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation at Northwestern Feinberg

Simon is an expert in reproductive health and health equity.

Katie Watson

Associate professor of medical education, medical social sciences and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Feinberg

Watson is a medical ethicist and reproductive health expert as well as a constitutional scholar.

Lauren Rivera

Professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management

Rivera is an expert on workplace personnel practices, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Her research explores hiring and promotion practices and discrimination.