Paul, Weiss and CRR File Challenge Against Mississippi’s Unconstitutional Abortion Regime

Paul, Weiss and co-counsel the Center for Reproductive Rights brought a legal challenge against a regime of Mississippi laws and regulations that have created unconstitutional barriers to a woman’s right to access safe, legal abortion. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Mississippi on behalf of Jackson Women’s Health Organization – the last remaining abortion provider in the state – argues that the state laws violate the U.S. Supreme Court’s standard in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.

The new filing amends and significantly expands a lawsuit filed by CRR three weeks ago that challenged as unconstitutional a state ban barring abortion after 15 weeks. CRR won a temporary restraining order hours after the law went into effect, and the law is currently blocked while the litigation proceeds.

The newly amended lawsuit takes aim at a restrictive clinic licensing system that singles out abortion clinics; a requirement that women delay their abortions for 24 hours after receiving state-mandated information; a requirement that a woman make two separate trips to the clinic prior to an abortion; a requirement that only physicians provide abortion care; a telemedicine ban only applied to physicians providing abortions; and the ban on abortions after 15 weeks.

The Paul, Weiss team on the matter includes, among others, litigation partners Roberto Gonzalez and Claudia Hammerman, counsel Aaron Delaney and associates Crystal Johnson, Paul Gross, Joy Lurinsky, Amy Nemetz, Joseph Samuels and Ariel Spierer.