New York Attorney General Letitia James, 24 national law firms, and eight reproductive rights organizations today announced the launch of a legal hotline.
The hotline will provide legal guidance and resources to patients, healthcare providers, and supporters seeking information about their legal rights to access and provide abortions.
The legal hotline, which is part of Attorney General James’ new Pro Bono Task Force on Reproductive Health that she convened with these law firms and advocacy groups, will be available to anyone who is seeking legal information and legal advice about abortions in New York, patients seeking to travel to New York to obtain an abortion, healthcare providers, and people and organizations providing material support.
The hotline is free and will be available in the 12 most common languages spoken in New York. Attorney General James’ task force is co-led by the law firm Paul, Weiss and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Hotline Number: (212) 899-5567
“In the face of this devastating and destructive decision, we are doing everything in our power to ensure people have access to safe abortions,” said Attorney General James. “New York has made clear that we will continue to be a safe haven for all, and that includes providing legal support to help navigate the complex, daunting, and hostile abortion laws. This network of the nation’s top law firms, advocacy groups, and attorneys in my office will work around the clock to offer this free support because every single person in this country should have the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies.”
“Our firm has continuously fought to protect a woman’s right to choose since Roe was decided in 1973,” said Ben Karp, chairman, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. “In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs overturning Roe, women seeking access to abortions have an urgent need for information about their legal rights. Today, we are leveraging our resources and our historic commitment to reproductive choice for all by partnering with the New York attorney general to establish a reproductive rights task force and hotline to respond to the flood of inquiries from New Yorkers and others out of state seeking access to safe and legal abortions in New York.”
“New York Attorney General Letitia James has stepped forward with a crucial resource that will help cut through the legal chaos left in the wake of the Supreme Court’s precedent-breaking and ruinous Dobbs decision,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO, Center for Reproductive Rights. “Attorney General James has assembled a legal dream team, from the private and nonprofit bar, who will provide much-needed clarity and information for New Yorkers, as well as those from other states who are seeking abortion care in New York, about how this decision impacts them. The Center for Reproductive Rights is proud to be part of this innovative effort, which will be a model for other states across the nation as they too look for ways to address this national public health emergency.”
Over the past several years, conservative states have passed laws to greatly restrict access to abortion.
Following Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, abortion is now illegal or mostly banned in at least nine of those states.
Abortion bans in two additional states will take effect in the coming days; four more states’ bans will take effect 30 days after the decision; six more states are expected to ban abortion in the coming weeks; and the fate of abortion remains uncertain in nine more states.
In addition to banning abortions, many of these states have also passed laws to criminalize patients, doctors, providers, or even average citizens who help others access an abortion.
The hotline, which will be staffed by trained attorneys, is intended to help individuals understand their legal rights, including those seeking an abortion in New York.
It will also be available for doctors, providers, and other individuals who are seeking legal guidance about how these laws may apply to them.
The law firms include:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Debevoise & Plimpton
Fenwick & West LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Milbank
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
O’Melveny & Myers
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Ropes & Gray LLP
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Weil, Gotshal, & Manges LLP
Winston & Strawn LLP
The advocacy groups include:
Center for Reproductive Rights
If/When/How
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
New York Civil Liberties Union
National Institute for Reproductive Health
Hotline Number: (212) 899-5567
Abortion FAQ
The hotline is not intended to provide medical advice or help individuals find an abortion clinic.
Abortion Resources
To find an abortion provider:
To find information on obtaining the abortion pill:
To find information on state abortion restrictions:
*State of the law is changing quickly. Please review the date updated to make sure the information is current.
- Center for Reproductive Rights’ What If Roe Fell? Tracker
- Guttmacher Institute’s State Legislation Tracker
- New York Times’ Tracker
- Washington Post’s Tracker
Find more information Letitia James here.
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