Roe v. wade (1973) ruled unconstitutional a state law that banned abortions except to save the life of the mother. the court ruled that the states were forbidden from outlawing or regulating any aspect of abortion performed during the first trimester of pregnancy, could only enact abortion regulations reasonably related to maternal health in the second and third trimesters, and could enact abortion laws protecting the life of the fetus only in the third trimester. even then, an exception had to be made to protect the life of the mother. controversial from the moment it was released, roe v. wade politically divided the nation more than any other recent case and continues to inspire heated debates, politics, and even violence today ("the culture wars"). though by no means the supreme court's most important decision, roe v. wade remains its most recognized.

at the time roe was decided, most states severely restricted or banned the practice of abortion. however, these restrictions were challenged amid the sexual revolution and feminist movements of the 1960s. in 1970, two recent graduates of the university of texas law school, linda coffee and sarah weddington, brought a lawsuit on behalf of a pregnant woman, dallas area resident norma l. mccorvey ("jane roe"), claiming a texas law criminalizing most abortions violated roe's constitutional rights. the texas law banned all abortions except those necessary to save the life of the mother. roe claimed that while her life was not endangered, she could not afford to travel out of state and had a right to terminate her pregnancy in a safe medical environment. the lawsuit was filed against henry wade, dallas country district attorney, in a texas federal court. the texas court ruled that the law violated the constitution. wade appealed to the u. s. supreme court, which reviewed the case throughout 1971 and 1972.