An Evening with Sarah Weddington, Lawyer in Roe v Wade

Sarah Weddington is a nationally known attorney and spokesperson on leadership and public issues. In 1973, at age 26, she argued the winning side of the landmark case Roe v. Wade before the United States Supreme Court. She is thought to be the youngest woman ever to win a case in the Supreme Court.

Weddington has been a long-time advocate for women. In 1972, she was the first woman from Austin elected to the Texas House of Representatives. She served three terms before becoming the U.S. Department of Agriculture's General Counsel in 1977, the first woman to ever hold that position. From 1978 to 1981, Weddington served as Assistant to the President of the United States. She was designated by President Carter to direct the Administration's work on women's issues and leadership outreach. She also directed White House efforts to extend the time for ratification of the ERA and to assist in the selection of women for federal judiciary appointments. She co-chaired the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Mid-Decade Conference on Women in Copenhagen and implemented other programs to ensure the equal treatment of women in the military in securing business loans and in social programs. As the first woman Director of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations from 1983 to 1985, she was the chief lobbyist in Washington D.C. for the State.

Weddington is the author of the best-seller A Question of Choice, which details the Roe v. Wade case. She is currently working on her next book, on the subject of leadership and self-renewal, and serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Distinguished Alumna of McMurry University and received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.