The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a 50-year-old ruling that constitutionally legalized abortion. This concerns the «Roe v. Wade» case – the decision from 1973 on the legality of abortion.

Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. The statement says that the ill-conceived decision of the U.S. Supreme Court undermines public confidence in the American legal system and reduces respect for the rule of law.

The New York State Bar Association has long supported equality and equal protection under the law. It is likely that this ruling will have a disparate impact on women who are pregnant but have limited means and resources. Without federal protection, millions of women will no longer have the right to a safe, legal abortion and will be forced to travel between states to get the procedure. Those who cannot afford to seek an abortion out of state or do not have health insurance might resort to risky, illegal abortions. Many will be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, regardless of their access to medical or prenatal care, which jeopardizes their physical and mental well-being.

As previously reported, the UBA and the International Section of NYSBA (NYSBA International) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in December 2021, and NYSBA Chapter in Ukraine was established on the platform of the UBA.