The purpose and mission of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA) includes (i) education about issues of importance to all women; (ii) promotion of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Bar for women lawyers, and (iii) advocacy for policy initiatives that foster gender equity and reduce persistent barriers to equality. On January 17, 2025, the former administration declared that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which guarantees equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, is the “law of the land” as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This statement was based on the fact that as of 2020, the ERA was ratified by three-quarters of the states, the threshold necessary under the Constitution for amendments to take effect.

While this remains a legally complex issue, the ERA has received support from a majority of the public and bipartisan support in Congress. As developed nations worldwide take steps to establish full equal rights for women and 23 of our own states have their own constitutional provisions that prohibit the denial of equal rights based on sex, it is an anomaly that equal rights for women are not guaranteed by the United States Constitution– the strongest international influence on democracy. The current protections are a patchwork of common law and federal, state, and local enactments that are subject to change from shifts in government, legislatures, and courts. Despite the protections gained thus far, women continue to experience discrimination on the basis of sex, including pay disparity, which is more severe for women of color. The NJWLA urges our leaders in Congress to give full force and effect to the Twenty-Eighth Amendment and thereby enshrine the fundamental right of equality in the United States Constitution.

Thank you,

Renée A. Rubino

President – New Jersey Women Lawyers Association