3rd Circuit

About the 3rd Circuit

The 3rd Circuit covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It has fourteen seats, two of which are vacant.

Reproductive Rights in the 3rd Circuit

Grade: C

The states in the 3rd Circuit receive an average grade of C regarding reproductive rights. The laws in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania reflect a mixed legislative record on reproductive rights issues, with New Jersey receiving the highest marks on choice of the three states. While courts have struck down some of the onerous restrictions in these states, many remain on the books, thus impinging on reproductive freedom. It will be up to the judges who sit on the 3rd Circuit Court to uphold or deny a woman's reproductive rights in the face of these challenging legislative obstacles.
 
Pending Nominees to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals

Joseph A. Greenway
  
Acknowledgment:
NCJW thanks the NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation for the use of data contained in the "2008 Report Card on Women's Reproductive Rights" included in Who Decides? The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States, 17th edition, 2008. In this publication, NARAL Pro-Choice America assigned each state and the District of Columbia a letter grade based on the nature of reproductive rights laws in 20 categories. These grades were averaged to offer a general overview of the status of reproductive rights in each circuit.