Sarah Weddington is a nationally-known attorney and spokesperson on public issues, especially in the area of reproductive rights. On January 22, 1973, she won the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade when the Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution guarantees women the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. She took the case on a pro bono basis. Dr. Weddington has received numerous awards for her work on the case, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s highest honor, The Margaret Sanger Award. Her book, A Question of Choice, documents the landmark case, recalls the time before Roe, and details the ensuing developments in the abortion rights movement.
Dr. Weddington has been a long-time advocate for women’s right to choose. In 1972, she was the first woman elected from Austin to the Texas House of Representatives, serving three terms. As a State Representative, she successfully led efforts to block all anti-abortion legislation. She is a former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. In 2004, Dr. Weddington was a featured speaker for the March for Women’s Lives in Washington, DC, where she spoke to an audience of more than 1 million. For her work as founder and Legal Advisory Board Member of the Lilith Fund, Dr. Weddington was honored with the 2010 Jane’s Due Process Award.
In 1992, she received the Distinguished Alumna award from her alma mater, McMurry University, in Abilene, Texas. She received her J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1967. Dr. Weddington is recently retired from her 27-year tenure as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas at Austin. She writes and travels extensively, speaking on women’s issues and the development of leadership skills.