Debate: Assessing Recent Abortion Clinic Laws and Litigation

The Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter

Speakers:

• David F. Forte - Professor of Law, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

• Alphonse Gerhardstein - Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA

  
   

DEBATE

Can States Require Abortion Clinics and Doctors to Have Transfer Agreements and Admitting Privileges?

Assessing Recent Abortion Clinic Laws and Litigation

Featuring

David F. Forte

Professor of Law, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

v.

Alphonse Gerhardstein

Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA

Residents of southeast Ohio are familiar with recent litigation involving the State of Ohio’s effort to shut down the Lebanon Road Surgery Center, an abortion clinic in Sharonville, Ohio, due to its lack of a transfer agreement with a local hospital. The clinic recently announced plans to close, but such legal battles are not unique to Cincinnati. Similar legal battles have occurred elsewhere in Ohio, as well as in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Some courts have held that state efforts to require abortion clinics to have transfer agreements with local hospital, or for abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals, are unconstitutional, while others have upheld such requirements.

Where are courts headed on this issue? Will these court decisions stop or alter state efforts? Are transfer agreement and admitting privileges requirements legitimate regulation of medical providers that promote women’s safety and health, or are they burdensome and unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers? How do transfer agreement and privileges regulations relate to other state restrictions on abortion?

Lunch included. Cost is $15.00.

Please RSVP by Monday, October 13 to Matthew R. Byrne at matthew.byrne@jacksonlewis.com.  Pay at the door or in advance by cash or check (payable to “The Federalist Society”).