Dear John,

The National Women’s Law Center was founded in 1972 with an ambitious vision and mission: to advance legal rights and protections for women. Today, I am proud to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Law Center’s founding.

As the Law Center’s first Board Chair and a board member from 1972 to 2019, I was and am honored to serve the Center, the people we have represented, and you as one of our supporters.

NWLC was established even before the Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right to abortion in the United States in Roe v. Wade. Today, we are facing the real possibility of losing that right as the court weighs Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. With your support, the Law Center has been fighting alongside our allies to protect one of the biggest advancements for women in this country’s history.

And abortion rights aren’t the only area of our work where decades-old achievements are under threat. I am so very proud of the progress we have made over the past 50 years, and of all the staff and supporters who made it all possible. But this work requires constant vigilance to safeguard the progress we’ve made. Today, together, we’re prepared to tackle new challenges and hold power to account.

• In 1974, NWLC filed Relf v. Weinberger, which secured new regulations to protect poor women from the cruel practice of involuntary sterilization. Today, we know that ICE is alleged to have pressured immigrant women into sterilization procedures as recently as 2020.
• In 1980, the Center brought the first major Title IX case challenging sexism in collegiate athletics, setting a precedent for women’s sports programs. Today, anti-trans activists and legislators are accelerating their efforts to exclude trans girls and women from sports at school.
• In 2021, as the COVID pandemic ravaged families and the child care industry, the Law Center helped secure a historic $50 billion in direct relief through the American Rescue Plan. But today, we're still pushing for a long-term sustained investment so that every family has access to high-quality, affordable child care and every child care provider has living wages.

Our supporter community (including you) has always been central to the Law Center’s groundbreaking victories over the past 50 years. I strongly believe that the work we continue to do together is vital—and there is still so much to do.

For today, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating five decades of trailblazing legal work for the rights of women and girls—here’s to 50 more years.

In gratitude,

Brooksley Born

P.S. If you’d like to mark our anniversary with a special donation, you can do so here—and claim a special thank-you gift from our special edition 50th anniversary items!