Abortion Restrictions
You are the senior aide to state Senator Jack Lawson in your home state of Setonia. Senator Lawson advises that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of three provisions of Setonia’s abortion laws. Specifically, the ACLU has challenged the following:
1) Law that prevents state health officials from renewing or issuing licenses to abortion clinics located with 2000 feet of an elementary school.
2) Law that requires physicians performing abortions to complete 10 hours annually of continuing medical education on abortion procedures.
3) Law that requires abortion providers to give every patient a copy of her medical records, regardless of whether the patient requests such records.
ASSIGNMENT: Senator Lawson has asked you to research the likelihood of success of the ACLU’s constitutional challenges to each of the three Setonia laws. Specifically, Senator Lawson wants you to prepare a 4-5 page memo addressing the following:
· The legal framework the court will apply to the ACLU’s constitutional challenge to the various abortion laws.
· A summary of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
· Your analysis of whether the ACLU’s constitutional challenge to each of the three Setonia laws will prevail, particularly given the Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health.
