NCJW opposes Maria Lanahan. Here’s why:
Maria Lanahan’s record raises serious concerns about her ability to serve fairly and independently as a federal judge. As Principal Deputy Solicitor General of Missouri, she has played a central role in advancing extreme legal positions that undermine fundamental rights. She helped lead the state’s effort to restrict access to mifepristone, a safe and effective medication used in abortion care, even after the Supreme Court rejected the case for lack of standing. She also worked to block the implementation of Missouri’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative — despite the fact that a majority of Missourians voted to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution. In addition, Ms. Lanahan has defended conversion therapy and sought to undercut workers’ rights to organize.
Maria Lanahan’s stance on important issues:
Abortion:
Ms. Lanahan has been instrumental in ongoing litigation challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone, one of the two medications typically used in medication abortion. She represented Missouri in a request to intervene in a Texas case where an extremist, anti-abortion group sought to drastically restrict access to this safe and effective medication. Ms. Lanahan submitted an amicus brief, riddled with anti-abortion misinformation, to the Supreme Court in support of the anti-abortion group’s baseless claims. The Court found that the anti-abortion group did not have standing to challenge the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, and the group dropped their claim earlier this year. Nevertheless, Ms. Lanahan continues to push this unfounded litigation forward in the Texas court on behalf of the state of Missouri, alleging that Missouri has standing in the case despite having no connection to the district where it was filed. She also led efforts to challenge Missouri’s “Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative,” even after a majority of Missourians voted to enshrine reproductive freedom into the state’s constitution in 2024.
Civil Rights:
Ms. Lanahan has defended laws that restrict oversight of law enforcement and reduce police accountability. In City of St. Louis v. State of Missouri, she supported Missouri’s “Police Bill of Rights” which weakens transparency in cases of police misconduct and shields officers from investigation and discipline.
LGBTQ+ Rights:
In Wyatt Burry, LLC v. City of Kansas City, Missouri et al., Ms. Lanahan supported arguments against local ordinances that prohibit conversion therapy for minors.
Workers Rights:
Ms. Lanahan has backed legal efforts to limit protections for public sector unions and restrict collective bargaining rights. In AFSCME v. State of Missouri, she defended a law designed to weaken union rights and alter the framework of collective bargaining, making it harder for workers to organize and advocate for fair treatment.
Education and Career Highlights:
Maria Lanahan is the Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Ms. Lanahan previously served as senior manager and litigation counsel for Charter Communications, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri, and as an associate in the St. Louis office of Thompson Coburn, LLP. Ms. Lanahan was a law clerk to Judge Raymond Gruender of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and to Justice Brian K. Zahra of the Michigan Supreme Court. Ms. Lanahan earned her BA, summa cum laude, from Gonzaga University and her JD from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as an Articles Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review.