It’s one thing to read about legal shifts in the abstract, and quite another to understand how they ripple through the lives of real people. Professor David S. Cohen has dedicated a significant portion of his career to bridging that gap, particularly in the complex and often fraught landscape of abortion access.
His recent work, the book ‘AfterDobbs: How the Supreme Court Ended Roe But Not Abortion,’ co-authored with UCSF sociologist Carole Joffe, dives headfirst into this very reality. It’s not just about the legal pronouncements; it’s about the resilience and ingenuity of individuals working tirelessly to ensure abortion remains accessible even after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision was overturned. This isn't a story of defeat, but one of ongoing struggle and adaptation.
Looking ahead, Cohen, alongside University of Pittsburgh Professor Greer Donley, is exploring innovative legal strategies. Their forthcoming article in the Michigan Law Review, titled ‘From Medical Exceptions to Reproductive Freedom,’ proposes a fascinating approach: using pregnancy complications as a lever to challenge broader abortion bans. The idea is to create pathways for greater accessibility for everyone by focusing on these critical medical scenarios. It’s a forward-thinking perspective, aiming to carve out space for reproductive freedom within an increasingly restrictive legal environment.
Cohen’s scholarship has long been at the intersection of constitutional law and gender, with a keen eye on how legal frameworks impact abortion provision. He’s also delved into the unsettling realities of violence against abortion providers and the broader issues of sex segregation and masculinity in legal contexts. And for those interested in the mechanics of the highest court, he’s researched voting anomalies within the Supreme Court itself.
In the wake of the Dobbs decision, Cohen has emerged as a prominent national voice. Alongside his frequent collaborators Greer Donley and Rachel Rebouché, he’s produced a body of work that’s not only shaping academic discourse but also influencing policy. Their law review articles have appeared in prestigious journals like the Columbia Law Review and Stanford Law Review, and their insights have been amplified through numerous op-eds in outlets like The New York Times, Slate, The Atlantic, and Politico. It’s particularly noteworthy that their work was cited in the dissenting opinion of Dobbs and has served as inspiration for at least 17 state laws aimed at protecting abortion rights.
This isn't Cohen's first foray into chronicling the challenges of abortion access. His 2020 book, ‘Obstacle Course: The Everyday Struggle to Get an Abortion in America,’ also co-authored with Carole Joffe, offers a granular look at the practical hurdles people face. Before that, his 2015 book, ‘Living in the Crosshairs: The Untold Stories of Anti-Abortion Terrorism,’ co-authored with Krysten Connon, shed light on the targeted violence against abortion providers and the legal responses to such extremism.
His academic contributions extend across a wide array of law reviews, including the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review Online. He’s also contributed chapters to significant edited volumes, like ‘Feminist Judgments: Rewritten Opinions of the United States Supreme Court,’ where he re-imagined a ruling on the all-male military draft, and ‘Feminist Judgments: Reproductive Justice Rewritten,’ offering a new perspective on a key reproductive rights case.
Cohen’s own legal education at Columbia University School of Law was marked by significant academic achievement and a commitment to human rights. His early career included clerking for prominent judges and working as a fellow and staff attorney for the Women’s Law Project, where he tackled a range of reproductive rights and sex discrimination cases, even working on Supreme Court matters like Ferguson v. City of Charleston.
Beyond his research and writing, Cohen is recognized for his dedication to teaching. He’s received multiple awards for distinguished teaching at Drexel University, reflecting a deep commitment to engaging students and fostering critical thinking. It’s this blend of rigorous scholarship, practical engagement with real-world issues, and a passion for education that makes his perspective so valuable in understanding the ongoing evolution of reproductive rights.
