Episode

An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
listen on Spotify
36:06
Published: Fri Jul 01 2022
Description

A little over 50 years ago, Nancy Stearns, a young lawyer, was presenting a case in New York with a bold legal assertion: that the right to abortion was fundamental to equal rights for women.She never got to conclude her argument — first New York changed the law, then came Roe v. Wade. Now, with Roe overturned, she describes how it feels to watch the right to terminate a pregnancy fall away.Guest: Nancy Stearns, a lawyer who used an argument of equal rights to challenge the constitutionality of abortion bans.Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: The United States almost took a different path toward abortion rights. Abramowicz v. Lefkowitz was the first case in the country to challenge a state’s strict abortion law on behalf of women.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Chapters
In this episode, Nancy Stearns, a lawyer who brought a case arguing equal rights for women's fundamental right to abortion before Roe v. Wade, talks about how she got involved in the cause and what it was like on the front lines of the abortion fight at its beginning.
00:00 - 01:52 (01:52)
listen on Spotify
abortion rights
Summary

In this episode, Nancy Stearns, a lawyer who brought a case arguing equal rights for women's fundamental right to abortion before Roe v. Wade, talks about how she got involved in the cause and what it was like on the front lines of the abortion fight at its beginning.

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily
The constitutionality of abortion laws was always challenged in the context of criminal prosecutions of doctors and abortion counselors until abortion became the central cause for the women's movement.
01:52 - 07:57 (06:05)
listen on Spotify
Women's Rights, Abortion
Summary

The constitutionality of abortion laws was always challenged in the context of criminal prosecutions of doctors and abortion counselors until abortion became the central cause for the women's movement.

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily
Women discuss their personal experiences with abortion and the impact of laws on women's rights, in an effort to build a case against laws that violate the Constitution.
07:57 - 13:05 (05:08)
listen on Spotify
Abortion
Summary

Women discuss their personal experiences with abortion and the impact of laws on women's rights, in an effort to build a case against laws that violate the Constitution.

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily
The restrictive abortion laws violated women's liberty and equal protection under the law, preventing them from leading fulfilling lives and being equal members of society.
13:05 - 17:13 (04:08)
listen on Spotify
Abortion Rights
Summary

The restrictive abortion laws violated women's liberty and equal protection under the law, preventing them from leading fulfilling lives and being equal members of society.

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily
The lack of recognition of women's equal rights in the Constitution reveals a total contempt for women, and overturning Roe v. Wade will only further limit women's opportunities and keep them in poverty.
17:13 - 29:54 (12:41)
listen on Spotify
Women's Equality
Summary

The lack of recognition of women's equal rights in the Constitution reveals a total contempt for women, and overturning Roe v. Wade will only further limit women's opportunities and keep them in poverty. A Supreme Court ruling based on women's equality would have faced the same level of divisiveness as Roe v. Wade has.

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily
Fight, fight, fight!
29:54 - 35:46 (05:52)
listen on Spotify
Fight, fight, fight
Summary

Fight, fight, fight! Fight, fight, fight! Fight, fight, fight! Fight, fight, fight!

Episode
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Podcast
The Daily