The attorney who represented the central Mississippi clinic in the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade has been nominated for a position as a judge of a federal court of appeals by President Joe Biden.
Julie Rikelman, director of US litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights, was nominated Friday for the Boston-based US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The abortion rights attorney advocated for Jackson Women’s Health in Dobbs v. Jackson, who tested a Mississippi law that prohibited abortions after 15 weeks.
“Without viability, there will be no stopping point,” Rikelman defended in high court. “States will rush to ban abortion at virtually any point in pregnancy.”
The Supreme Court ruled against Mississippi Clinic 6-3 in June. In a 5-4 decision, the high court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.
Reproductive rights groups hailed her nomination on Friday.
“Restoring our democracy and access to abortion will require judges who uphold justice and ensure our rights,” said the The National Women’s Law Center tweeted Friday. “Julie Rikelman is the champion we need for a seat on the federal judiciary.”
Roe’s death: The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion
“Having experts with a demonstrable track record of defending abortion rights like Julie Rikelman in the judiciary will serve as a critical defense against future attacks on our rights,” NARAL Pro-Choice America wrote in a statement on Friday.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard University, Rikelman clerked for Judge Morton Greenberg of the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and Judge Dana Fabe of the Alaska Supreme Court, according to her biography from the Center for Reproductive Rights. She previously worked as the vice president of litigation for NBC Universal.
Rikelman was recommended along with eight other nominees and a ninth associate justice whom Biden intends to nominate.
They include Judge Daniel Calabretta, who would become the first openly LGBT judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California if confirmed, and Judge Rita F. Lin, who is she would become the first Chinese American woman to serve on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion Rights Lawyer in Dobbs Case Nominated for Federal Judge