In its inaugural year, the Rutgers Law School Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women's Rights and Gender Justice Clinic (RBG Clinic) transformed the late Justice's vision of strategic advocacy into meaningful action, providing students with hands-on opportunities to advance gender justice through client representation and community partnerships.
Led by Director Marcy Karin, the Clinic's first-year work centered on one of the most pressing and often overlooked gender equity issues: menstrual justice. Students explored how legal tools can be used to challenge discrimination through projects spanning New Jersey communities, state and federal legal advocacy efforts, and international human rights forums.
At the local level, the RBG Clinic represented The Flow Initiative and collaborated with pantry+ at Rutgers University—Newark to co-host "Flow Fest: Menstrual Equity in Action" in March 2026. The event brought together students, advocates, and community members to promote menstrual equity and educate participants about their legal rights.
Clinic students developed "know your rights" materials, presented on campus-related antidiscrimination and accommodation protections connected to menstruation, and facilitated informed community engagement around pending New Jersey legislation addressing menstrual equity. The initiative allowed students to translate legal doctrine into practical public education while supporting advocacy efforts aimed at creating policy change within the state.
Beyond New Jersey, the RBG Clinic worked with Period Law on a national campaign targeting the discriminatory sales taxes on menstrual products that remain in effect in 18 states. Professor Karin and Clinic students traveled to Kentucky to support two women challenging the constitutionality of the state's 6% sales tax on menstrual discharge collection devices. In August 2026, a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, allowing their sex discrimination lawsuit to proceed to the merits.
"Clinical law students saw firsthand how systemic reform sometimes requires a multi-pronged strategy combining litigation, legislation, media, and other advocacy," said Karin. "Working alongside our clients, students translated complex legal concepts into actionable strategies to dismantle unjust systems, and I'm grateful that our clients trusted Rutgers students to join them in this movement."
The Clinic's impact also reached the international stage. In March 2026, RBG Clinic students supported PERIOD. to bring youth perspectives on menstrual justice to the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70). Together with Girls Inc., they jointly presented the parallel session, "From Stigma to Justice: Youth Dismantling Period Discrimination in Policies and Practices." The dialogue convened students, educators, advocates, journalists, lawyers, and international community leaders to examine youth-led efforts to challenge menstrual stigma and advance equity in educational settings. Grounding the discussion in legal frameworks, Rutgers Law students highlighted protections available under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, federal disability laws, and state protections such as the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
The Clinic also participated directly in international policy development. A student team submitted formal comments to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation on behalf of The Flow Initiative. The submission urged policymakers to move beyond piecemeal menstrual product distribution efforts and instead establish international standards that incorporate dignified, safe, and private menstrual health services into gender-responsive sanitation infrastructure.
For Eiko La Boria, founder and CEO of The Flow Initiative, the partnership exemplified the value of clinic-based legal education. La Boria praised the work of the Clinic and then-students Devin Deflora '26 and Laseana Carrera '26, highlighting both their legal skills and commitment to client-centered advocacy.
"When I shared my vision with the RBG Clinic, they met it with enthusiasm, bold legal thinking, and deep respect," said La Boria. "[Deflora and Carrera] brought a caliber of dedication and skill that elevated everything we did together. From the outset, they were consummate professionals: prepared, precise, and deeply attentive. What impressed me most was their ability to dissect a challenge from multiple perspectives, legal, strategic, and human, and to hold each one in view at once."
The RBG Clinic revives and expands the former Women’s Rights Litigation Clinic in Newark, which was founded by Justice Ginsburg in the early 1970s and remained active until the early 2000s. The new Clinic is made possible by a $6.5 million gift from the Stephanie and Harold Krieger Charitable Trust, one of the largest gifts in the law school’s history.
Rutgers Law Dean Johanna Bond said, "The successful launch of the RBG Clinic reflects the power of a shared vision among alumni, donors, faculty, and community partners who believe in the transformative role of legal education. In its inaugural year, the clinic has already provided students with opportunities to tackle complex issues of gender justice while serving clients whose work is creating lasting change. We are proud to have restored and reimagined this clinic in a way that honors Justice Ginsburg's legacy through action."
One of the goals of the Rutgers Law Strategic Plan is to deepen connections with our communities through our clinical programs, our commitment to social justice, and strategic partnerships. Click here to learn more about our Strategic Plan.