On June 27, 2022, three days after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, the Center for Reproductive Rights and its partners filed a lawsuit in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans challenging Louisiana’s “trigger” laws, which were designed to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned. 

The lawsuit argued that the laws were unconstitutionally vague since it was not clear whether any of the three trigger bans were in effect, and if so, which one was in effect; as well as what conduct would be prohibited, including if there were exceptions for doctors to perform abortions to save the life of the pregnant person. In addition, state and local officials in Louisiana had issued conflicting statements about the laws after the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 24. 

Filed by the Center and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, with local counsel Ellie Schilling, the lawsuit requested emergency relief from the state’s laws on behalf of Hope Medical Group for Women and its Administrator, Kathaleen Pittman, as well as Medical Students for Choice. 

On June 27, hours after the case was filed, a state court judge temporarily blocked the laws, allowing abortion care to resume in the state.  A hearing was scheduled for July 8, and a preliminary injunction was granted on July 21. 

On August 1, a state appellate court ordered the district court to lift the preliminary injunction, leaving abortion care unavailable.  

On August 12, the Louisiana Supreme Court denied an emergency writ filed on August 4 asking the court to reinstate a preliminary injunction blocking the state’s trigger bans. The State’s appeal of the preliminary injunction is still pending in the appellate court.  Abortion care has been unavailable in the state since August 1. 

Center Attorneys: Jenny Ma, Kulsoom Ijaz, Caroline Sacerdote, and Adria Bonillas 

Co-Counsel/Cooperating Attorneys: Schoenkas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin, LLC and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP 

Plaintiffs: Hope Medical Group for Women, Kathaleen Pittman, and Medical Students for Choice 

Timeline:

Legal documents:

• Complaint in June Medical Services v. Landry, 6.27.22
• Judgment on Petition for Preliminary Injunction, 8.1.22
• Petitioners’ Emergency Application for Supervisory Writ and Request for Expedited Consideration, 8.4.22

Read more:

• Louisiana Trigger Bans Blocked After Challenge by the Center and Partners, 6.27.22 
• Abortion Providers Challenge Trigger Laws in Louisiana After Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, 6.27.22 
• Press Release: Emergency Request Filed to Block Louisiana Trigger Bans, 8.4.22