Boston Globe | Campbell announces new abortion hotline for patients and providers seeking legal advice
By Sonel Cutler
Story Originally Appeared in the Boston Globe
Abortion care providers and patients seeking confidential legal advice can now call a centralized Abortion Legal Hotline for information and help accessing resources, Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced Monday.
The hotline, which went live 7 a.m. Monday, was created by Reproductive Equity Now Foundation in collaboration with the attorney general’s office, the Women’s Bar Foundation, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and five law firms that will offer pro bono services.
The hotline number is (833) 309-6301.
“Our hope is that this hotline will serve as an important legal resource for people to fully understand their legal rights and risks when obtaining or offering abortion, and ensure that Massachusetts remains a safe place for care,” Rebecca Hart Holder, president of Reproductive Equity Now, said at a news conference.
Campbell and representatives from the organizations involved in creating and staffing the hotline were joined at the press conference by Senator Elizabeth Warren, US Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Katherine Clark, the US House minority whip.
“Since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs [v. Jackson], over a dozen states have responded by banning or severely restricting abortions,” Warren said, referring to the court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade last June. “But not Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, we have stepped up to offer additional protection for women’s rights.”
After Dobbs, Massachusetts passed sweeping legislation shielding reproductive rights, intending to make the state a safe haven for patients to travel to receive reproductive care. According to Campbell, the hotline won’t just serve state residents, but also offer resources to people outside Massachusetts who cross state lines to seek care.
According to Hart Holder, over 150 lawyers from firms including Foley Hoag LLP; Goodwin Procter; Goulston & Storrs PC; Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo PC; Ropes & Gray LLP; and the ACLU of Massachusetts have signed on to offer resources and advice to hotline callers.
“I have been absolutely stunned by the outpouring of support from the legal community,” Hart Holder said. “I cannot tell you the number of attorneys who have called me and said, ‘What can I do?’”
Lola Remy, director of pro bono programs at the Women’s Bar Foundation of Massachusetts, said the project was a “no brainer.”
“The questions that we’re asked sometimes is, ‘Well, we’re safe in Massachusetts, why bother?’ Our goal is for everyone everywhere to be safe,” Remy said.
Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, emphasized Massachusetts will be setting an example for states across the country by providing a streamlined, free, and confidential resource to connect providers and patients.
“This really is a moment where Massachusetts needs to be a beacon and needs to lead,” Rose said. “After the fall of Roe, Massachusetts did pass the best in the nation protections for abortion providers and patients. And that didn’t just happen on its own.”