Lawyer in abortion pill battles joins conservative law firm Lex Politica

By David Thomas

Feb 18 (Reuters) - A recent entrant in the expanding ecosystem of conservative U.S. law firms made its latest hire this week, bringing on a top attorney from the legal fight to restrict access to the abortion pill drug known as mifepristone.

Erin Hawley, the wife of Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, joined law firm Lex Politica as chair of its Supreme Court and appellate litigation practice, the firm said in a LinkedIn post on Monday.

Hawley previously worked at the nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom as senior counsel and vice president of the conservative legal advocacy group's Center for Life and Regulatory Practice. Hawley, Lex Politica and Alliance Defending Freedom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lex Politica was launched in January last year by a lawyer for billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk's political action committee and two attorneys whose clients have included Republican politicians and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The Austin, Texas-based firm now has 15 lawyers, according to its website, including Republican Governors Association general counsel Jessica Furst Johnson and others focused on political law, campaign finance and lobbying.

Small, conservative law firms have multiplied and gained influence in recent years, contrasting with the politically neutral or socially liberal bent of many large U.S. firms. The trend gained steam during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency and has continued since Republican President Donald Trump returned to office last year.

Hawley represented anti-abortion groups and doctors in a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration acted contrary to its mandate to ensure that medications are safe when it eased restrictions on mifepristone in 2016 and 2021. The case went up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously against Hawley's clients in 2024 .

Hawley at the time said she was disappointed in the ruling, which she said rested on a "legal technicality" and not the merits of the case. Hawley and the ADF also represented the states of Louisiana and West Virginia in legal challenges that ultimately upheld their respective restrictions on mifepristone.

Lex Politica said in its LinkedIn post that Hawley will "shape and lead our appellate portfolio, where her expertise will continue to protect First Amendment rights in the highest court of the land."