Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson recently helped craft draft legislation with Utah Representative Mike Peterson that would empower college students to opt out of assignments if the coursework violates their “sincerely held religious and conscience beliefs.” She testified before the Utah Senate Education Committee on February 25 at the invitation of Peterson on Utah House Bill 204 and was quoted in an article from the Salt Lake Tribune about the bill.

On Friday, August 8, 2025, Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson had the privilege of attending the signing of bill SB 14 at the Wisconsin State Capitol, making Wisconsin the 29th state to afford patients respect in medical teaching. Wilson filed written testimony in May that was used in both Wisconsin Senate and Assembly hearings surrounding the bill, wherein she advocated for written, informed consent for educational pelvic exams. Wilson is pictured with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin patient advocate Sarah Wright. Wilson says that her Illinois Law students have benefitted from Sarah’s commitment to this cause, as she has guest lectured in class and will be returning again this fall to discuss the passage of SB 14 with Wilson’s students.

Trying to navigate the morass of state-level abortion laws in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade is “a hot mess,” according to Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson. To help individuals understand the laws where they reside, Wilson and a team of students led by Sara Peal ’25 created a website feature a visual interface that shows how different laws apply over the course of a typical 40-week pregnancy. The website aims to be a more comprehensive tool than any other created to this point.

Ten years ago, Utah passed two pieces of legislation Utah to protect religious freedom and protect LGBT individuals from discrimination in housing and employment. Though it is one of the most conservative states in the United States, the “Utah Compromise” to enact these bills has held up so far and helped increase respect for individuals in the Beehive State. Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson co-authored an editorial for Deseret News examining the impacts of these laws after a decade.

Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson has co-edited a new book, International Survey of Family Law 2024, covering topics including marriage equality, gender equality, LGBT rights, and abortion regulations around the U.S., among other topics. This edition continues the celebration of the International Society of Family Law’s (ISFL) fiftieth anniversary. It is published by Intersentia.

Surgical sterilization is on the rise among young American women and one of the questions surrounding this practice is one of informed consent. Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson, who has researched extensively on this topic, told the Deseret News that consent may be hard to assure because an individual may experience regret later in life.

Sitting in front of an audience at the University of Illinois-Springfield, Sara Jane Peal, a 3L student, had no idea what to expect. Alongside Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson, Peal was on stage to discuss their research on reproductive health and reproductive rights in the different states as part of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs “Undebates” series, a discussion series on hot topics in the presidential election.

Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson has spent significant time researching the Right to Contraception Act, put forward by Democratic leaders who want to preserve rights regarding matters of reproductive health care. Drawing upon her work in Utah and other states on laws associated with religious freedom, LGBTQ rights, and adoption, Wilson thinks this bill is a chance for effective bipartisan collaboration. “This is eminently doable,” Wilson said.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, there has been a concerted effort among lawmakers to codify the right to access contraception. This manifested itself this summer in Senate Bill 4381, which Professor Robin Wilson says is “a worthy legislative endeavor,” with the caveat that “it needs to be done with sensitivity to our constitutional design.” In her opinion article, published in the Deseret News, she suggests that this is a great chance for Congress to come together in a bipartisan fashion to create a good piece of legislation.

Robin Fretwell Wilson has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for the academic year 2024-2025. She will spend the year in Lisbon, Portugal at the NOVA School of Law. The Fulbright Program is appropriated by the U.S. Congress annually with goal of developing international understanding and establishing open communication and long-term cooperative relationships. As a Fulbright participant, Professor Wilson will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with international partners and engage with diverse communities.