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Few decisions are more personal and intimate, more properly private, or more basic to individual dignity and autonomy, than a woman's decision whether to end her pregnancy. A woman's right to make that choice freely is fundamental.
— U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (1986)
A woman's right to decide whether or not to bear a child was secured in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. The anti-choice movement continues to seek the passage of laws to restrict women's reproductive freedom, and anti-choice extremists have pursued a campaign of harassment and sometimes violence against abortion clinics and providers. The ACLU of New Jersey is a member of a statewide pro-choice coalition, which works to safeguard women's right to choose.
Take Action!
- Dec 2, 2009 Fight the Stupak Amendment!
Press Releases
- July 1, 2021 ACLU-NJ, Thrive NJ Coalition Tap Kaufman Zita Group in Expanding Effort to Pass Reproductive Freedom Act
- March 9, 2021 NJ Supreme Court Ruling Ensures Pregnant Workers Should Not Have to Choose Between Economic Security and Healthy Pregnancies
- January 12, 2021 State of the State Response: 2021 Will Build on Civil Rights Expansions of 2020
- October 16, 2018 Ed Barocas, an NJ Legal Giant, Retires as ACLU-NJ Legal Director
- March 12, 2018 NJ Budget: Family Planning, Marijuana Legalization & Lawyers for Immigration Are Key
- February 15, 2018 Family Planning Funding on the Horizon After Long Battle in Trenton
- January 16, 2018 ACLU-NJ: We Congratulate New Governor and Hope to Advance Civil Rights and Liberties
- October 19, 2017 ACLU-NJ Scorecard Shows Mixed Civil Liberties Records
- June 30, 2015 As Governor, Presidential Candidate Christie Earned Low Marks
- December 22, 2014 ACLU-NJ Welcomes N.J. Supreme Court Upholding Rights of Mother Prescribed Methadone During Pregnancy
Legal Cases
- State v. Bailey
Amicus brief addressing whether the retroactive application of the newly enacted crime-fraud exception to the marital communications privilege violates the ex post facto clauses of the federal and state constitutions.
- Delanoy v. Township of Ocean
Amicus brief in support of pregnant police officer forced to leave the workplace early in violation of the New Jersey Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
- Curto et al. v. A Country Place Condominium Association
Fair Housing Act challenge to a condominium association's discriminatory policy of segregating the community's shared swimming pool by gender.
- D.Y.F.S. v. Y.N.
Mother determined to have neglected her child based solely on the fact that she underwent Methadone treatment during her pregnancy.
- ACLU-NJ v. Smith Ellis
Challenge to New Jersey tax dollars used to support religious schools.
- Acuna v. Turkish
- Planned Parenthood of Central NJ v. Farmer
- Planned Parenthood v. Verniero
- Sojourner A. v. New Jersey Department of Human Services
Op-Eds
- Corzine on My Mind (2009)
- For the 36th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Change (2009)
- How Far Women Have Come Since Roe v. Wade (2008)
- 'Abstinence Only' Policy Puts Teens at Risk (2008)
- More to do to Guarantee Reproductive Freedom (2007)
- Roe v. Wade Anniversary 2005 (2005)
Publications
- Minors' Rights to Confidential Reproductive Health Care/NJ (1mb PDF)
- A Guide to Minors' Rights to Confidential Reproductive Health Care for New Jersey Health Care Providers (101k PDF)