University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Executive Director for the Center on Reproductive Health, Law and Policy

We are pleased to announce the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (CRHLP) at UCLA Law has named Melissa Goodman as its inaugural Executive Director. 

CRHLP is an innovative new center engaging with community organizations, scholars, lawmakers, practitioners, and advocates on reproductive health, law, and policy. The Center will be involved in training the next generation of reproductive justice lawyers and advocates, working with scholars and movement actors to generate innovative strategies to safeguard the health and wellbeing of people capable of pregnancy, and developing programs and initiatives to address the great challenges and pressing needs of this current moment. 

CRHLP Faculty Director Cary Franklin said, "I cannot imagine a better person than Melissa Goodman to lead CRHLP. She is a brilliant lawyer, deeply knowledgeable about reproductive law and policy and highly attuned to the ways in which reproductive justice intersects with other key social issues.”

For the past five years, Goodman has been the Legal and Advocacy Director at the ACLU of Southern California. In this role she has led the affiliate's 60 attorneys, policy advocates, organizers, and support staff across offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Kern County. Goodman has led the department’s visioning and strategy, strategic planning, intersectional issue and cross-team collaboration, resource allocation, and helped lead statewide legislative, electoral, and organizing strategy amongst ACLU California affiliates and offices. She has also co-chaired the national ACLU’s Gender Justice Task Force.

Courtney Wilk-Mandel led this search with Cara Meyers.