I just read an interesting article with the title “Rules for Radical Lawyers: Advancing the Abortion Rights of Inmates” by Mark Egerman of the National Abortion Federation. (See http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1554401)
The article deals with an issue that has received a lot of attention in the literature. Many scholars have focused on the backlash caused by litigation designed to bring about social change and have argued that these litigation efforts may be counterproductive. Egerman’s article discusses this and, as the title of his article suggests, draws from the writings of Saul Alinsky and contends that, properly planned, litigation can be an effective way to bring about social change. He applies his model to the issue of reproductive rights in prisons.
Egerman’s effort is designed to advance “progressive” causes with a particular focus on abortion rights. His article is subject to criticism on many grounds. It is, however, an interesting read and provides useful information about the litigation strategies that led up to Roe v. Wade.
Richard M.
Richard Myers
Richard S. Myers, the Vice-President of UFL, is Professor of Law at Ave Maria School of Law, where he teaches Antitrust, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, and Religious Freedom. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Kenyon College and earned his law degree at Notre Dame, where he won the law school's highest academic prize. He began his legal career by clerking for Judge John F. Kilkenny of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Professor Myers also worked for Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue in Washington, D.C. He taught at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law before joining the Ave Maria faculty. He is a co-editor of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Natural Law Tradition: Contemporary Perspectives (Catholic University of American Press, 2004) and a co-editor of Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought, Social Science, and Social Policy (Scarecrow Press, 2007). He has also published extensively on constitutional law in law reviews and also testified before Congressional and state legislative hearings on life issues.
Married to Mollie Murphy, who is also on the faculty at Ave Maria School of Law, they are the proud parents of six children - Michael, Patrick, Clare, Kathleen, Matthew, and Andrew. http://www.avemarialaw.edu/index.cfm?event=faculty.bio&pid=11705E7D4E0111010366
