Legal Briefs & Testimony

NWLC Files Amicus Brief in Support of Bei Bei Shuai

July 29, 2011

The Center filed an Amicus brief in support of Bei Bei Shuai, who is being prosecuted based on her attempted suicide. She was pregnant at the time, and her baby died shortly after birth. Despite any evidence whatsoever that  Ms. Shuai intended to end her pregnancy and not her own life, she is being charged with homicide. The case is being considered by the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Testimony of Joan Entmacher Before the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security Hearing on Social Security's Finances and Benefits

July 08, 2011

Invited testimony by Joan Entmacher describes the importance of Social Security to Americans’ economic security and the impact of proposals to reduce Social Security benefits, especially on women.

Amicus Brief: Susan Seven-Sky, et al., v. Eric H. Holder, Jr., et al.

July 02, 2011

The National Women’s Law Center's “friend of the court” brief is on behalf of 22 organizations in Susan Seven-Sky v. Eric H. Holder, Jr., a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which is considering an appeal to a U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decision that a key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. The brief explains what’s at stake for women in the challenge to the new health care law and why the ACA, in correcting fundamental gender inequities in the health insurance and health care markets, is an appropriate exercise of federal Commerce Clause authority and therefore is constitutional.

NWLC Written Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Barriers to Justice and Accountability: How the Supreme Court's Recent Rulings Will Affect Corporate Behavior

June 29, 2011

On June 29, 2011, Marcia D. Greenberger, on behalf of NWLC, submitted written testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Barriers to Justice and Accountability: How the Supreme Court's Recent Rulings Will Affect Corporate Behavior.

The written statement focuses on the Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes and discusses the the importance of class actions in the employment discrimination context and illuminates how the decision could cause great injury for women in the workplace

NWLC Written Statement to Senate Subcommittee on Immigration Re: DREAM Act

June 28, 2011

The National Women's Law Center, along with 140 other organizations, submitted written statements in support of DREAM Act in preparation for a hearing on the merits of the bill on June 28, 2011.  The DREAM Act would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brough to this country before the age of 16, graduate from high school, exhibit good moral character, and attain at least two years of post-secondary education or two years of miltary service, among many other requirements.

NWLC Testimony to Commission on Civil Rights re Bullying and Federal Civil Rights Enforcement 5.13.11

May 13, 2011

In her testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil RIghts, Vice-President for Education & Employment, Fatima Goss Graves, described the high rate of gender-based harassment and bullying in schools and discussed the importance of federal civil rights enforcement in addressing and remedying gender-based harassment and bullying.

NWLC Comments to the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

May 11, 2011

The Center welcomed the opportunity to submit comments to the Office for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and offered commentary on requirements for data collection, use of subgoup information, and the use of positive behavioral supports, among other subjects.

Appellants' Reply Brief: Amber Parker, et. al., v. Indiana High School Athletic Association, et al.

April 29, 2011

Defendants-Appellees' (“Districts”) Response Brief (“RB”) entirely fails to rebut Plaintiffs-Appellants' (referred to collectively as “Parker”) showing that the scheduling of almost all boys‟ varsity basketball games, but only about half of the girls' games, in “primetime” violates Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. The Districts' arguments are based solely on their own unsupported version of Title IX athletics law, and ignore or misinterpret the language of the applicable policy, case law, and a letter from the federal enforcement agency warning them about the disparate scheduling. They also ignore the basic point that the school districts work together to establish the athletic schedules that discriminate against girls.
With regard to the constitutional violation, the Districts have not shown that they are entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity, and they fail to demonstrate that the gender-based disparity in scheduling primetime basketball games meets the heightened scrutiny standard. Therefore, this Court should reverse the district court and remedy the discrimination in scheduling.

Amicus Brief: State of Florida, et al., v. Department of Health & Human Services, et al.

April 12, 2011

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act makes important advances in women’s health care, addressing a crisis of discrimination and obstacles to access truly national in scope. Indeed, a major purpose and concern of Congress in passing the ACA was improving women’s health and ameliorating the disadvantages and discrimination women have faced in obtaining health care and health insurance. Like the civil rights laws of the past 50 years, the ACA aims at “a moral and social wrong” that itself has profound economic consequences. Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, 379 U.S. 241, 257 (1964).

Statement of Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security before the Seniors Task Force

April 06, 2011

Statement of Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security at the National Women's Law Center, before the Seniors Task Force on April 6.