Texas lawmakers target law firms for aiding abortion access

Signage is seen exterior of the legislation agency Sidley Austin at their authorized places of work in Washington, D.C., U.S., Could 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) – A bunch of Texas state legislators this week warned legislation agency Sidley Austin that it was courting authorized motion by promising to reimburse employees who journey to acquire an abortion and stated proposed laws is within the works to single out legal professionals and legislation companies for violating anti-abortion statutes.

Sidley, a world agency with over 2,000 legal professionals and places of work in Dallas and Houston, was amongst a number of legislation companies that internally introduced journey reimbursement insurance policies after the U.S. Supreme Court docket final month reversed the constitutional proper to abortion, leaving it as much as states to manage the process.

In a letter Thursday, the Texas Freedom Caucus – a coalition of 11 present Texas state legislators – instructed Sidley administration committee chair Yvette Ostolaza that it believes the legislation agency “has been complicit in unlawful abortions” carried out within the state. The letter didn’t present particulars on these claims or Sidley’s function.

A Sidley spokesperson and the caucus didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the letter.

The caucus stated Sidley could also be in violation of a Texas legislation that allows civil lawsuits towards those that “assist and abet” abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually through the sixth week of being pregnant.

“Litigation is already underway to uncover the identification of those that aided or abetted these and different unlawful abortions,” the letter stated.

The group requested Sidley to protect and retain any data on abortions carried out or induced in Texas after the fetal heartbeat legislation went into impact and after the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s ruling, together with data associated to agency staff who might have helped pay for the procedures. Such retention requests could be a precursor to litigation.

Reuters couldn’t affirm whether or not different legislation companies with Texas places of work and insurance policies to reimburse employees for abortion-related journey have obtained comparable letters, and the caucus has not publicized any others. Vinson & Elkins, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and McDermott Will & Emery are among the many legislation companies with a Texas presence which have adopted such a journey coverage.

A number of massive U.S. corporations introduced comparable journey insurance policies after the Supreme Court docket’s abortion ruling final month. Reuters reported that such advantages might open corporations as much as lawsuits and potential prison legal responsibility.

The Texas Freedom Caucus letter additionally stated legislators are planning payments “that may impose further civil and prison sanctions on legislation companies that pay for abortions or abortion journey.”

That laws, in keeping with the letter, would require the state to disbar any Texas lawyer who helps somebody get hold of an abortion or violates some other state abortion statute.

The laws would additionally allow non-public residents to sue anybody who pays or reimburses somebody for an abortion, the caucus stated.

President Joe Biden on Friday signed an govt order to make it simpler to entry companies to terminate pregnancies. Included within the order is a path for the White Home counsel workplace and Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland to “convene a gathering” of legal professionals, together with these in non-public observe, to encourage authorized illustration for these in search of or providing abortion companies.

Learn extra:

Massive U.S. legislation companies start to supply abortion journey advantages after Dobbs ruling

Authorized clashes await U.S. corporations protecting staff’ abortion prices

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