Meet Erin Hawley, Senator Josh Hawley’s conservative lawyer wife: she’s the legal mind behind big anti-abortion cases, espouses Christian values, and published the devotional book Living Beloved

Oct 28 , 2024

Meet Erin Hawley, the conservative lawyer wife of Senator Josh Hawley: she’s the legal mind behind big anti-abortion cases, espouses Christian values, and published the devotional book Living Beloved. Photo: @HawleyMO/X

Erin shares three kids and a Christian podcast with her husband Josh, whose political career gave her anxiety – as a litigator, she was involved in the landmark case that saw Roe v. Wade overturned

Law professor, ace litigator and appeal queen – there’s no doubt that Erin Hawley has carved a name for herself outside her husband’s political fame.

A bloodied Donald Trump is ringed by Secret Service agents after the July assassination attempt against him at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. Photo: AP Photo

Just as her husband Senator Josh Hawley has been making headlines for his support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and in particular, for being outspoken after the attempted assassination of Trump in July, Erin’s name is regularly in the spotlight for her role in cases against the abortion pill and, more famously, for playing a role in the landmark June 2022 case that saw Roe v. Wade overturned, with some states banning or severely restricting abortion as a consequence.

Erin Hawley is married to Missouri state Senator Josh Hawley. Photo: @HawleyMO/X

As a former clerk to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr, Erin’s stance on abortion is rooted in her strong Christian beliefs. The professor at Regent University School of Law comes from a family of ranchers and has moved her way up the legal echelons, with The New York Times describing her as having a “long-time interest in limiting the power of the administrative state”.

Here’s what to know about Erin Hawley.

She’s an ace litigator

Erin Hawley studied at Yale Law School and has worked at major law firms. Photo: @HawleyMO/X

Currently, Hawley is senior counsel to the appellate team at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian law firm “committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parent rights and the sanctity of life.” “Appellate” refers to the legal process for hearing reviews and appeals on legal cases that have already been heard and ruled on.

Per The Federalist Society, Hawley has previous appellate law experience at major law firms including Kirkland and Ellis LLP, Bancroft LLP and King & Spalding LLP.

From ranch life to Yale

Erin Hawley espouses Christian values. Photo: @HawleyMO/X

Hawley originally wanted to be a veterinarian, per The New York Times, and studied animal science at Texas A&M University. It was when she was interning for the House Committee on Agriculture that she discovered a love for regulatory law. She began studying law at the University of Texas before moving to Yale Law School.