Attorney General William Tong on Wednesday announced the appointment of Assistant Attorneys General Alma Nunley and Emily Gait as Special Counsels for Reproductive Rights.
In their new roles, Counsels Nunley and Gait will lead the Office of the Attorney General in protecting abortion access and fighting for reproductive rights in Connecticut and nationwide.
These are new positions for the Office of the Attorney General, established by Attorney General Tong to respond to escalating challenges to reproductive freedom following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health overturning Roe v. Wade.
Attorney General Tong will host a forum on the anniversary of that decision on Thursday morning at the Legislative Office Building.
He will be joined by Counsels Nunley and Gait, as well as Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, leaders from Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Pro-Choice Connecticut, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, Reproductive Rights Caucus co-chairs Rep. Jillian Gilchrest and Rep. Matt Blumenthal, Sen. Mae Flexer, Sen. Heather Somers and others. See here for more information.
“The fall of Roe was just the beginning. Over the past year, we have witnessed a tsunami of extremist legislation and litigation aimed at eroding reproductive freedom and criminalizing the healthcare choices and actions of women, patients, and providers. Abortion is safe, legal, and accessible in Connecticut, and we are fighting on every front to keep it that way.
Assistant Attorneys General Alma Nunley and Emily Gait are both extremely skilled litigators, with deep experience in state and federal courts and I am grateful they have accepted the Special Counsel roles to lead our efforts within our office, and alongside attorneys general nationwide. The Special Counsel for Reproductive Rights is a new role in the Office of the Attorney General, reflecting the importance of this work and the severe threats we see ahead,” said Attorney General Tong in a release.
Connecticut has joined Democratic attorneys general in filing numerous amicus briefs in courts across the country to defend reproductive freedom in cases challenging access to safe, legal abortion, birth control, medication abortion, the rights of federally funded clinics to provide medical advice and care unfettered by partisan politics, and more.
Connecticut has gone on the offensive too, joining states in filing affirmative litigation to proactively protect access to medication abortion here in Connecticut and nationwide. Attorney General Tong has also taken steps to ensure Connecticut patients understand their rights to access abortion, issuing a formal opinion on access to medication abortion in Connecticut and guidance on abortion rights post-Dobbs.
Connecticut has also joined with New York and a task force of trained, volunteer attorneys convened by New York Attorney General Letitia James to offer a legal hotline providing free legal guidance and resources to Connecticut patients and providers regarding legal rights to access and provide abortions. The legal hotline number is 212-899-5567.