Erin Morrow Hawley, a distinguished attorney and conservative activist, has emerged as a significant figure in the United States legal landscape. As the wife of Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, she has carved her own path, notably influencing major legal battles that have reached the Supreme Court.
Born in Alameda, California, in 1980, Erin Morrow Hawley was raised in a family that valued education and hard work. She pursued animal science at Texas A&M University, which led her to an internship with the House Committee on Agriculture. This experience sparked her interest in regulatory law, prompting her to attend Yale Law School. At Yale, she distinguished herself as a Coker Fellow in Constitutional Law and contributed to The Yale Law Journal.
After earning her Juris Doctor, Erin Morrow Hawley clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts at the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She then practiced appellate law at prominent Washington, D.C. firms, including Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Bancroft PLLC, and King & Spalding LLP. Her tenure at the Department of Justice as counsel to Attorney General Michael Mukasey further solidified her legal acumen.
Transitioning to academia, Hawley served as an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law. There, she taught courses on constitutional litigation, federal income tax, tax policy, and agricultural law. She also held a senior fellowship at the Kinder Institute for Constitutional Democracy, focusing on constitutional law.
In 2021, Erin Morrow Hawley joined the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as senior counsel and vice president of the Center for Life and Regulatory Practice. ADF is a conservative legal advocacy group committed to issues like religious freedom, free speech, and the sanctity of life. At ADF, she has been instrumental in litigating high-profile cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Erin Morrow Hawley impact is particularly evident in abortion-related jurisprudence. She was part of the legal team in the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), which led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, ending nearly five decades of federally protected abortion rights.
Her advocacy continued as she took on a leading role in challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, an abortion medication. In FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (2024), Hawley argued that the federal approval of the abortion pill proceeded without adequate consideration of potential side effects and health risks to women. This case, currently under Supreme Court review, could significantly impact nationwide access to abortion medication.
Beyond abortion, Erin Morrow Hawley has championed cases centered on religious freedom and free speech. She was involved in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2023), where the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a web designer who refused to create websites for same-sex weddings, citing First Amendment rights. This decision underscored the ongoing tension between anti-discrimination laws and religious liberties.
In December 2024, Hawley testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government regarding the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She contended that the Act had been misused to target pro-life activities while inadequately protecting pregnancy centers and churches. Hawley emphasized the necessity for the equal application of laws to uphold public trust in the legal system.
Erin met Josh Hawley during their clerkship at the U.S. Supreme Court, and they married in 2010. The couple has three children: Elijah, Blaise, and Abigail. Their shared commitment to conservative principles has positioned them as a formidable duo in political and legal spheres.
Erin Morrow Hawley’s legal expertise and unwavering dedication to conservative causes have significantly influenced contemporary American jurisprudence. Her work continues to shape critical legal debates, particularly concerning abortion rights and religious freedoms, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in the nation’s legal discourse.
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