Ask ReproJobs: Answering all your questions about legal work in the movement.
There are so many ways to work to support reproductive health, rights, and justice, and one we get many questions about is how to navigate the world of repro law and policy. We're not lawyers, so we circled up two of the pros at If, When, How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice to answer your big questions about legal careers.
Erin Panichkul is the Student Organizing Manager and Melissa Torres-Montoya is the Senior Lawyer Engagement Manager at If/When/How. Together they support law students and lawyers in organizing to further reproductive justice.
Q: Is it worth pursuing a legal career in repro if you’re just fighting within an unjust system?
A: This is an ever-present dilemma. At times it seems as if there is only one way to bring about meaningful, radical change if the systems we live in are unjust, and they are. However, once you think beyond a binary framing and see the movement as fluid and growing, then the very existence of lawyers like us in a legal field that was not built for us is a revolutionary act. The way we contribute matters. We may not be able to right every wrong because the legal system does not prioritize justice, but in my little corner of my remote office, I’m proud to work with others making good trouble because we do have the power to shape, guide, and transform the legal field so that it is different and better than yesterday. Maybe the law itself is not a revolutionary tool but how we wield it is. Lawyering for reproductive justice is a verb—an authentic and revolutionary tool.
There are a lot of ways to lawyer for reproductive justice. At If/When/How, we believe in transforming the legal system. However, as long as the current system exists there is a need for good lawyers who can provide impactful representation. In particular, we need lawyers who can support the unique needs of their communities and bring an intersectional lens to their work. Simultaneously, attorneys need to inform the strategy to create transformative change to the legal system. It’s important to gain experience in a spectrum of lawyering, from direct representation to policy advocacy, to identify not only your skill set where you best contribute to the movement but also the way in which you stay motivated and prevent burn out. One of the ways to preserve yourself working in an unjust system is to make sure you have enough energy and will to keep pushing against it. Because it is going to take time--even your entire career.
Q: How can I get a job when I have a law license and non-law-related repro skills, like abortion fund experience?
A: First, start with how you frame your experience! Your experience working at an abortion fund may not be “traditional” legal experience, but you’re helping people navigate laws that impact how they access abortion. You’re helping an organization create policies to ensure people get the abortions they need. Not only is this an example of lawyering, but your lived experience centering those most impacted by reproductive injustice is invaluable. It strongly positions you to enter into a legal role where you can continue to grow the hard legal skills that are informed with invaluable real life experience.
Q: Am I unreasonable for thinking I should go back to law school and be a nurse-midwife/lawyer?
A: It is never unreasonable to invest in yourself! If you've been dreaming it up for a while, it's probably a sign that you are ready for the challenge and are hoping for reassurance. Healthcare and the law intersect often and to have an advocate in multiple fields adds an invaluable lens to further reproductive justice. In fact, your expertise as both a nurse-midwife and lawyer works to enhance people's experiences and expand on rights and access especially for communities who have historically been underserved.
For anyone considering taking the leap into law school, we're here to help guide you through your decision making process with answers to common questions and dispelling myths and misconceptions about law school, applications, financial aid, picking the school for you, and advice from those who went through out. Check out our toolkit, Is Law School for Me? A Guide for Reproductive Justice Advocates.
Q: What resources/tips are there for aspiring paralegals and legal assistants who want to work in the reproductive justice field without necessarily going to law school?
A: Join If/When/How’s Reproductive Justice Lawyers Network! Seriously: we have lots of educational opportunities to keep up to date on legal challenges to advancing reproductive justice. You’ll also get connected to opportunities to apply your legal skills to volunteer research projects needed to further the reproductive justice movement. This network aims to support movement allies, such as grassroots advocacy organizations, who need specialized legal skills. While some opportunities, such as continuing legal education and pro-bono project placements, may center barred attorneys, there are many legal research opportunities for legal assistants and paralegals.
No matter where you are in your legal career, whether it’s considering law school or avoiding law school altogether, getting involved on the local level especially engaging in the unseen work often has the biggest impact even when it is not glamorous, loud, or visible. In fact, our RJ Lawyers Network is comprised of lawyers and legal professionals in various practice areas all furthering reproductive justice in unique ways. You can bring reproductive justice to your work without having a career in repro rights, litigation, or policy. Lawyering for reproductive justice is not limited to a field of law or profession. The movement is even more powerful with RJ advocates in varying careers, especially beyond the repro sphere. This can include bringing in racial justice and reproductive justice principles and practices into your realm of legal work—no matter what field of law. Consider opportunities like speaking up in the workplace, creating institutional knowledge, advocating for inclusive hiring, and/or using your privilege to share your platform. Let’s also not overlook administrative support, technical assistance, legislative advocacy, lobbying, speaking at city council meetings, signing onto support letters, hosting or attending training sessions, mentoring, creating internship opportunities, supporting law students, volunteering your time, fundraising and donating, especially engaging in mutual aid! Together we make the movement and we contribute to the movement with the skills we already possess in the circles we are already a part of.
Erin Panichkul (she/her) is a proud child of Thai immigrants, a lawyer, and rabbit mom who was born and raised in Los Angeles. Erin is the Student Organizing Manager at If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice where she trains, mentors, and mobilizes law student leaders on reproductive justice and racial justice activism.
Melissa Torres-Montoya (she/her) is a native Californian who has spent the last decade in Washington D.C. as a policy advocate dedicated to addressing the lack of affordable quality healthcare in the United States and advancing sexual and reproductive autonomy. Melissa is the Senior Lawyer Engagement Manager at If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice where she leads the RJ Lawyers Network, an initiative that focuses on training and mobilizing legal professionals to work for reproductive justice.