Nearly 50 years have passed since the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 decision in Roe v. Wade. The passage of time, however, has not diminished the legal and political fights over its future. With a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and the Trump administration鈥檚 success in adding more conservative judges to courts across the nation, the future of reproductive rights is being reshaped by the new judicial power balance.
鈥淲e are in an uphill fight in Ohio and around the nation,鈥� said Jessie Hill, the Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. 鈥淲e are all asking: What does the world look like if Roe is overturned?鈥�
Hill, whose research explores the intersection of constitutional law and health law, has spent the majority of her legal career fighting to prevent the erosion of reproductive rights. After initially studying comparative literature in graduate school, she made the switch to law school in the hope of having a greater impact on the issues that mattered to her. Her decision was validated when she spent a summer with the national office of the ACLU as an intern.
鈥淔or the first time, I fell in love with the work,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淏efore the ACLU internship, I interned with law firms and legal services, but it didn鈥檛 really speak to me. The passion of the ACLU lawyers, combined with the importance of their work, inspired and reassured me that I chose the right career path.鈥�
Hill returned to the ACLU as a fellow with the Reproductive Freedom Project after graduating law school and clerking for 6th Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore, gaining valuable legal experience and making contacts at like-minded organizations. Then, after working at a law firm specializing in civil rights, she joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2003 as a visiting assistant professor.
Professor Hill is an accomplished scholar, writing extensively in the area of reproductive rights. She has published in some of the most prestigious journals in the country and has forthcoming articles in the Georgetown Law Journal and the Virginia Law Review Online.
Now in her 17th year of teaching, Hill brings a wealth of practical experience to the classroom, taking on work for some of the most significant recent reproductive rights cases in Ohio. She currently serves as lead counsel or co-counsel in nearly every major constitutional challenge to an Ohio law restricting reproductive rights. In addition, she has submitted friend-of-the-court briefs in cases across the country on behalf of Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the ACLU. In March, Professor Hill argued before the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit鈥攈er first argument before a panel of sixteen judges. She was also involved in litigation to protect access to abortion in Ohio during the pandemic. Professor Hill鈥檚 litigation work is supported in part by grants from various foundations.
鈥淚 like having my hand in the practice world,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淗aving that connection helps inform my scholarship and teaching, while also bringing a real-world perspective to the classroom that gives students the option to get involved in reproductive rights.鈥�
In 2016, Hill created the law school鈥檚 Reproductive Rights Lab, where students produce research memos for real cases brought to Hill by advocacy groups nationally and across Ohio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than understanding the black letter of the law,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淚 work with students in the lab and help them think through the issues. How would you litigate these cases? How do you bring claims and what facts do you need before you go to court?鈥�
While some of the issues students work on are focused on abortion access and rights, the scope of the lab鈥檚 work extends into other aspects of healthcare as well.
鈥淩eproductive rights aren鈥檛 limited to abortion,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淲e鈥檝e also worked on the rights of female prisoners to prenatal care and access to feminine hygiene products, produced memos on the adoption of buffer zones around clinics and examined restrictions on midwifery in Ohio. Regardless of the type of case, the process for students is the same. Examine the law, research the relevant facts, and provide a detailed analysis.鈥�
In addition to her work in the classroom and the courtroom, Hill also serves as an advocate and researcher in the community. She is currently a legal consultant and steering committee member with the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN), a statewide research project studying reproductive health care access and policy in Ohio. Professor Hill also serves on the boards of the National Abortion Federation Hotline Fund and of Preterm, a nonprofit abortion and sexual health clinic in Cleveland.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 succeed as a professor if you aren鈥檛 authentic to your beliefs,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淭he work I do outside the classroom directly benefits the students in our lab, giving them access to local, state and national partner organizations. For students interested in this area, we鈥檙e providing the education and practical experience to join the cause of reproductive rights.鈥�