As an attorney in the Reagan administration, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito helped the Department of Justice devise a strategy to restrict, and ultimately overturn, the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

In a May 1985 memo, Alito urged the administration to submit a brief in a Supreme Court case to "make clear that we disagree with Roe v. Wade." He helped draft the brief that was eventually submitted in Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists although his name didn't appear on the document. The high court ended up rejecting the administration's arguments.

The memo was released on Wednesday as the court heard arguments in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. According to news reports, the justices appeared to agree that a state law requiring parental notification of a juvenile's abortion failed to take into account medical emergencies the teen might experience.

Get the Story:
Alito Helped Craft Reagan-Era Move To Restrict 'Roe' (The Washington Post 12/1)
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Alito File Shows Strategy to Curb Abortion Ruling (The New York Times 12/1)
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Roberts Seeks Middle Ground (The Washington Post 12/1)
For New Court, Abortion Case Takes Old Path (The New York Times 12/1)

Samuel Alito Documents:
National Archives |Ronald Reagan Library | George W. Bush Library

Relevant Links:
Judicial Nominations, White House - http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees

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