Author Archives: gwright

NASW, other organizations win legal victory over Massachusetts employee rights ballot initiative

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)  along with the National Women’s Law Center and 24 other groups on April 12, 2022 filed an amicus brief in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in the matter of El Koussa v Massachusetts, challenging the constitutionality of a Massachusetts ballot initiative filed with the state attorney general by Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and Insta-Cart. The ... Read More »

Mobilizing Social Work’s Vision and Voice through Voting

Social workers have a long tradition of social justice and political advocacy – to include working to expand and protect voting rights and promote voter registration. Our essential work on behalf of protecting voting rights is needed now more than ever. The right to vote was hard won and still remains tenuous for historically vulnerable and under-represented communities. More than ... Read More »

Overturning Roe v. Wade will disproportionately affect people of color; Here is what social workers should know

By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA The leaked report of a draft Supreme Court ruling to completely overturn the seminal abortion rights opinion Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the country. While most reproductive health and other social justice advocates expected the conservative-leaning court would “gut” Roe v. Wade, they did not anticipate the absolute evisceration of the law. In that Roe ... Read More »

Reproductive Rights legal cases handled by the NASW Legal Defense Fund

Here is a list of reproductive rights legal cases handled by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) NASW Legal Defense Fund. McRae v. Mathews (U.S. Dist. Ct, E.D.N.Y., 421 F. Supp. 533 (E.D.N.Y. 1976)) Case Desc.: Challenge to Federal Appropriation Act that denied funding to indigent, pregnant women for elective abortions NASW Supported: McRae Outcome: Won/Favorable. Date Brief Filed: ... Read More »

A Worrying Rise in Women’s Drinking: How Social Workers Can Help

By Diana Ling, MA, Program Manager and Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW, Senior Research Project and Training Coordinator; Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin A troubling trend has taken hold over the past two decades: drinking patterns among men and women have converged – and in some cases, young women ... Read More »

NASW joins amicus brief that helps bring favorable ruling for female employee in case involving harassment, discrimination in federal court

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and 41 other public interest and civil rights organizations on Aug. 26, 2021 committed to gender justice and participated in an amicus brief led by the Purple Campaign, National Women’s Law Center, and Legal Momentum in support of Jane Roe v. United States et. al. (now Caryn Devins Strickland v. United States et. ... Read More »