Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice
Abstract
The article examines Justice Harry Blackmun's pivotal role in the landmark *Roe v. Wade* decision, which legalized abortion in the United States and significantly advanced women's reproductive rights. Despite his initial reluctance to take on the case, Blackmun's opinion established a woman's right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment, balancing this right against state interests. The decision has had profound and enduring implications for women's autonomy and equality, though it has also faced persistent challenges and critiques, including concerns about its constitutional basis and the arbitrariness of the trimester framework. The article highlights Blackmun's personal background and jurisprudential approach, emphasizing his commitment to empathy and the human impact of legal decisions.
Disciplines
Constitutional Law | Jurisprudence | Law | Medical Jurisprudence | Sexuality and the Law
Recommended Citation
Sarah Primrose,
An Unlikely Feminist Icon?: Justice Harry A. Blackmun's Continuing Influence on Reproductive Rights Jurisprudence,
19
Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just.
393
(2013).
Available at:
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol19/iss2/4
Included in
Constitutional Law Commons, Jurisprudence Commons, Medical Jurisprudence Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons