Courts

Once a pro-life bill is passed and signed into law, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and/or the Center for Reproductive Rights routinely file suit to block it in state or federal court. AUL assists the state Attorneys General in defending laws by offering invaluable legal expertise, or by representing the state on behalf of the people. AUL has participated in over 90% of the pro-life cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

For nearly 40 years, AUL has protected and defended the sanctity of life in American courts and before international tribunals.  AUL has been actively involved in every abortion-related case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court including and since Roe v. Wade — most notably, successfully defending the Hyde Amendment in 1980’s Harris v. McRae and ensuring that federal and state governments do not have to fund abortion.  AUL has also played a key role in preventing judicial recognition of rights to euthanasia and assisted suicide and in protecting the freedom of conscience of health care professionals.

Over the past five years, AUL has filed more amicus curiae (“friend-of-the-court”) briefs in federal and state courts than any other pro-life organization, continuing to build on our distinguished and enviable record of courtroom successes.  Among the cases in which we recently filed briefs are:

• Gonzales v. Carhart, the U.S. Supreme Court case upholding the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
• Morr-Fitz v. Blagojevich, an Illinois Supreme Court case reinstating a constitutional challenge to former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s Executive Order requiring individual pharmacists and pharmacies in Illinois to dispense abortifacient drugs in without regard to individual conscience objections.
• Acción de inconstitucionalidad expediente 146/2007-00 (In re: Mexico City’s “Law of Legal Interruption of Pregnancy”), a 2007 challenge to Mexico City’s legalization of first-trimester abortions.
• John and June Roe v. Planned Parenthood Southeast Ohio Region, a case involving Planned Parenthood’s failure to comply with Ohio’s parental involvement law and to report suspected child sexual abuse.
• Richmond Medical Center for Women v. Herring, a Fourth Circuit case upholding Virginia’s ban on partial-birth abortion.
• Rogers v. Planned Parenthood Cincinnati Region, cases before both the Sixth Circuit and the Ohio Supreme Court concerning a 2004 Ohio law requiring abortion providers to comply with the FDA-approved protocol for dispensing RU-486.
• Baxter v. Montana, an attempt to legalize physician-assisted suicide heard by the Montana Supreme Court.