{"id":121606,"date":"2025-12-04T14:14:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T19:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=121606"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:14:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T19:14:23","slug":"living-the-dream","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2025\/living-the-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Living the Dream: Professor Sapna Khatri\u2019s Vision for Reproductive Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin record-block-editorial-leadin is-style-image-to-text has-media has-media-focus-left-top has-tertiary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"4802\" height=\"6311\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Photo of Sapna Khatri in her office, leaning against a desk, with framed Reproductive Justice posters behind her.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049.jpg 4802w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-484x636.jpg 484w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-779x1024.jpg 779w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-768x1009.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1169x1536.jpg 1169w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1558x2048.jpg 1558w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-628x826.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-519x682.jpg 519w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-785x1032.jpg 785w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1005x1321.jpg 1005w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-262x344.jpg 262w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-403x529.jpg 403w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-523x688.jpg 523w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-805x1058.jpg 805w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1038x1364.jpg 1038w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1257x1652.jpg 1257w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1570x2064.jpg 1570w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-2010x2642.jpg 2010w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-761x1000.jpg 761w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4802px) 100vw, 4802px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Sapna Khatri is the new executive director of BU School of Law&#8217;s Reproductive Justice Program. Photo by Cydney Scott for Boston University Photography.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Reproductive Justice<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLiving the Dream: Professor Sapna Khatri\u2019s Vision for Reproductive Justice\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">The inaugural Executive Director &#8220;is a living synthesis of scholar, advocate, and educator.&#8221;<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar record-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">December 4, 2025<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/authors\/sarah-awan-whelan\/\">Sarah Awan Whelan<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph record-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-dimensional has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-tertiary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>In the spring of 2022, with the insight and leadership of Law Faculty members Aziza Ahmed, Nicole Huberfeld and Linda McClain, Boston University School of Law launched a pioneering legal initiative rooted in reproductive justice. Known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/academics\/find-degrees-and-programs\/jd-program\/bu-program-on-reproductive-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Boston University Program on Reproductive Justice (BUPRJ)<\/a>, the interdisciplinary program weaves together faculty across BU\u2014including the School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Arts &amp; Sciences, and Questrom School of Business among others\u2014to advance reproductive justice and women\u2019s health issues. This summer, BUPRJ welcomed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/sapna-khatri\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sapna Khatri<\/a> as its inaugural Executive Director and as a Lecturer at the School of Law. \u201cMy goals as a BUPRJ Law Faculty member and executive are two-fold,\u201d Sapna explains. \u201cFirst, I want to train and invest in the next generation of reproductive justice leaders. Second, I want to build on this institution\u2019s commitment to advancing reproductive justice by substantively contributing to the movement.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sapna\u2019s mission carries particular weight in the wake of <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization<\/em>, the 2022 US Supreme Court decision that overturned <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em> (1973) and <em>Planned Parenthood v. Casey <\/em>(1992). The Dobbs court held that there is no constitutional right to abortion, leaving states free to decide whether it&#8217;s legal or not. Since the decision, many states have severely restricted or banned abortion care, further exacerbating existing barriers to care for vulnerable communities. It also underscores the urgency of training new advocates in with innovative programs like the one Sapna is now leading at BU Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt a time when rights to reproductive healthcare are being tested across every level of government, having Sapna here as the inaugural Executive Director for BUPRJ positions us and our school at the forefront of legal education. It marks us as a leading law school that is committed to preparing both brilliant and community-minded attorneys. She\u2019s a remarkable choice for taking on this role,\u201d notes Dean <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/angela-onwuachi-willig\/\" data-type=\"profile\" data-id=\"52540\" target=\"_blank\">Angela Onwuachi-Willig<\/a>. \u201cSapna is a living synthesis of scholar, advocate, and educator. Bringing her into our community is a profound win for the School of Law, not only for what she represents, but for what her work enables us to do and become. We\u2019re also deeply grateful for Kim Lessow Crockett\u2019s generosity, which made this groundbreaking role\u2014and the meaningful impact it has already inspired, and will continue to inspire\u2014possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sapna\u2019s Executive Director appointment is one part of the funding for the BUPRJ provided by Boston University School of Law alumna Kim Lessow Crockett, a member of the class of 1997. Since serving as a court advocate for BU Law\u2019s Battered Women\u2019s Advocacy Project while she was in law school, Lessow Crockett has remained committed to women\u2019s rights. She\u2019s done extensive public interest work serving women and families, focusing on medical-legal partnerships in the San Francisco\u00a0Bay area where she lives. In 2006, she founded and ran\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/babybasicspeninsula.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Baby Basics of the Peninsula<\/a>, a diaper bank and parent-mentoring program that provides referrals for other supportive services to low-income families in the East Palo Alto\/Menlo Park area. She has also done work for the Peninsula Family Advocacy\u00a0Program, a medical-legal partnership between pediatricians and the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. The partnership works together to resolve legal issues that can adversely impact children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-headline record-block-editorial-headline is-style-emphasis-color\"><strong>Forging Paths<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sapna\u2019s trajectory is a masterclass in following passions. And those passions were rooted in public advocacy from early in her adult life. As a first-year college student, she pursued journalism as a pathway to inspire social justice. Her reporting and producing experience revealed how powerful and necessary understanding the law is to telling compelling stories. On the other hand, she was hesitant to attend law school when her passion was to be a storyteller advocating for change. Ultimately, law school won out and Sapna pursed her legal education with the hope of one day using that training to return to her journalistic roots as a documentary filmmaker. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was soon leading the Washington University School of Law\u2019s Trial Team and served as Managing Editor of the <em>Global Studies Law Review.<\/em> Sapna remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice by also leading WashU Law\u2019s chapter of If\/When\/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and volunteering for local community organizations\u2014all of which eventually earned her the Public Service Student of the Year Award for her graduating class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a first-generation law student, Sapna was navigating law school with little understanding of the reality of legal work. While she quickly learned that she could still tell stories and use her journalism skills as a lawyer, she also found herself grappling with the pragmatics of student loan payments and family responsibilities. Those realities convinced her to initially accept a litigation associate position with a large law firm in St. Louis. She had a solid plan for her career: spend five years in the private sector and then seek out a return to public interest and social justice advocacy. In the meantime, she\u2019d spend every free minute on the firm\u2019s <em>pro bono<\/em> work. \u201cFive years isn\u2019t that long,\u201d she recalls thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But only 10 months into the position, she walked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe money wasn\u2019t enough to stay,\u201d Sapna explains. \u201cI felt like I was losing myself.\u201d With supportive parental guidance, her own sharp instincts, and a series of post-doctoral fellowships, she quickly built a reputation as a reproductive justice lawyer shaping policy, developing an expertise in reproductive privacy, and guiding a new generation of advocates into the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat makes Sapna special is her understanding of reproductive justice as a human issue that requires a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach,\u201d says Dean Onwuachi-Willig. \u201cShe\u2019s not just focused on constitutional rights but also on medicine, public health, ethics, social movements, and the intersections across all those areas. Her multidisciplinary and strategic approach is what has allowed her to build and evolve programs that impact communities and students alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-headline record-block-editorial-headline is-style-emphasis-color\"><strong>From California to the Commonwealth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After leaving the law firm, Sapna began testing the boundaries of what social action could look like. She joined the ACLU of Illinois to pursue high-impact litigation work in their Women\u2019s and Reproductive Rights Project. She later transitioned to the organization\u2019s policy team to serve as their Advocacy and Policy Counsel on privacy, technology and surveillance matters. In 2023, Sapna combined these interests by researching the intersection of reproductive justice and privacy as a Clinical Law Teaching Fellow at UCLA Law. She also joined forces with the school\u2019s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy; the Black Health Initiative at Planned Parenthood Inglewood; and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to help launch a medical-legal partnership that brought together the services of healthcare providers with legal ones so that patients seeking sexual or reproductive health care services at Planned Parenthood could also meet with a lawyer and seek legal aid on everything from food and housing insecurity to reentry and rehabilitation. \u201cThese patients already trusted Planned Parenthood,\u201d Sapna reasons. \u201cWhy not meet them where they were? With lawyers too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach to community-centered advocacy carried Sapna to the Massachusetts Attorney General\u2019s Office, where she launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/reproductive-justice-unit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reproductive Justice Unit<\/a> to protect and expand access to reproductive health. She brought with her a vision to utilize the many legal tools at a state attorney general\u2019s office\u2014such as investigations, enforcement, litigation, and policy\u2014to advance reproductive justice. The Unit worked hard to implement and later expand the state\u2019s \u201cshield law,\u201d an innovative legal tool aimed at protecting healthcare providers, patients, and others in Massachusetts who help provide and connect patients to reproductive and gender-affirming health care in the Commonwealth. Beyond that issue, the Unit concurrently worked to identify and reduce maternal-health disparities among Black and brown communities by advocating for policy and regulatory change, and providing outreach, resources and legal guidance for both patients and providers regarding abortion care, gender-affirming care, and contraception. \u201cWe have the ability to not only shape the future of reproductive health access,\u201d she says of her experience, \u201cbut also be a part of a movement that is actively working to ensure that all people can determine if, when, and how to have a family.\u201d In addition to all the external work, Sapna also spent time educating others within the office on the power of reproductive justice and the many ways her Unit\u2019s work intersected across the various Bureaus and Divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-headline record-block-editorial-headline is-style-emphasis-color\"><strong>Building A Student-Centered Movement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sapna\u2019s time at the Attorney General\u2019s Office exemplified the need to train all attorneys\u2014regardless of their role or legal interests\u2014on reproductive justice as a critical frame applicable to every type of legal discipline. It was a pivotal reality that drove her ambition to return to education. Today, she is helping train the next generation of reproductive justice advocates while modeling a way of lawyering rooted in care, collaboration, and courage. For her, the classroom is a workshop for developing voices strong enough to challenge inequities and resilient enough to carry movements forward. By centering her students as partners, Sapna seeks to create a space where legal education is inseparable from social transformation. Teaching, for her, is a way to honor the study of law. \u201cI knew that my goal was to return to law school in some capacity and give back to the environment that\u2019s given so much to me,\u201d she reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opportunity to reciprocate and foster growth is something that also drives Lessow Crockett\u2019s giving. \u201cI owe a lot to BU Law for pointing out how to take practical steps to help protect women\u2019s rights,\u201d she says of her time as a 3L court advocate. \u201cI really valued the approach to hands-on clinical teaching; BU Law gives these opportunities to its students while also providing a world-class legal education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer record-block-editorial-drawer js-bu-block-drawer has-quaternary-background has-media\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer-teaser\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"bu-blocks-background wp-image-121793\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC.png\" alt=\"Helina Haile ('25) smiles in her JD graduation cap and gown with a BU Law logo behind her.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC.png 800w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-636x636.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-682x682.png 682w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-344x344.png 344w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-529x529.png 529w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-688x688.png 688w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/12\/Haile_CropC-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><h2>Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellow Helina Haile: A Year with Positive Women\u2019s Network<\/h2><p>The 2025 Fellow focuses on advancing policies that center women, trans, and gender-diverse people living with HIV.<\/p><a href=\"#\" class=\"button js-bu-block-drawer-open\">Read More<\/a><\/div><section class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer-content js-bu-block-drawer-content\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer-wrapper\">\n<p>As the inaugural Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellow, Helina Haile (\u201925) is working with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwn-usa.org\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.pwn-usa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Positive Women\u2019s Network (PWN)<\/a>, a national organization dedicated to advancing policies that center women, trans, and gender-diverse people living with HIV. Grounded in a healing justice framework, PWN\u2019s work transforms policy into care, and law into an instrument for equal access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Haile didn\u2019t realize that what started as teaching English abroad would set her on a path to pursuing a legal career focusing on health law and human rights. \u201cMy experiences showed me the tangible effects of violence and conflict on the human body, especially for those with birthing capacity,\u201d she shares. \u201cIt became clear to me that the root issues to address international reproductive justice and HIV advocacy were structural and systemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGiven my experience teaching abroad, starting my legal career at PWN feels like a full-circle moment,\u201d Haile shared in September. \u201cIn just a few weeks, I\u2019ve learned so much about federal policy, the administrative state, and the way state laws shape reproductive justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working alongside a team of attorneys, Haile helps PWN\u2019s policy agenda through research, communication, and community engagement. Across PWN\u2019s Colorado and Alabama chapters, her work supports members in responding strategically to local and national legislation\u2013ensuring reproductive justice becomes a firm reality for all. Haile also helps lead the organization\u2019s Policy Fellowship, which trains BIPOC advocates\u2014living with HIV\u2014to amplify their voices in policymaking spaces. Each month, she produces <em>#HIVResists<\/em>, a policy newsletter that translates legislative updates and court decisions into accessible knowledge for PWN\u2019s members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Haile\u2019s fellowship reflects a growing recognition that reproductive justice must be both intersectional and inclusive. \u201cLitigation is one tool,\u201d she notes, \u201cbut it is not the only tool. Our movement lawyering must be holistic. Reproductive justice work is sometimes seen as a \u2018unicorn\u2019 public-interest path, yet once you step beyond traditional litigation, the field opens into many nuanced, meaningful ways to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer-close\"><button class=\"wp-block-editorial-drawer-close-button js-bu-block-drawer-close\">Close<\/button><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>The alumna\u2019s gifts illustrate how justice\u2014reproductive and otherwise\u2014takes efforts on many fronts. \u201cStudents today need mentors who model courage as well as craft. They need teachers who can teach them how to communicate with the general public as effectively as they can communicate in courtrooms. Someone who will show them that advocacy is a balance between the practice of law, self-discovery, and the growth of student advocates. Sapna shows students that law can be practiced with compassion and innovation at the same time,\u201d adds Dean Onwuachi-Willig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sapna\u2019s plans for Boston University are as comprehensive as they are visionary. \u201cI hope to spend my time at BU expanding our portfolio of reproductive justice work by introducing new opportunities for student engagement; hosting robust programming that brings together scholars, practitioners, and organizers; diversifying our network to build deeper community connections; and meaningfully contributing to the movement by adding legal capacity, especially for grassroots organizations that are doing the hard on-the-ground work and who need help with legal research and analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote record-block-bu-pullquote is-style-pop has-tertiary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">\u00a0I think I inherited that: the willingness to take risks, to pivot when I had to.\u00a0<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Sapna Khatri, executive director of BUPRJ<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-headline record-block-editorial-headline is-style-emphasis-color\"><strong>Origin of a Dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For Sapna, this ambition to effect social change is inseparable from her own cultural and lived experiences. \u201cThe fractured treatment of my gender extended beyond my conservative South Asian home and seemed to be woven into the very fabric of our society,\u201d she reflects. \u201cI\u2019ve focused on better understanding barriers to sexual and reproductive health access and utilizing the reproductive justice framework to break down those barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her journey to date reads almost like a prophecy starting literally the day she was born when her Punjabi-speaking parents named her Sapna. The word means \u201cdream\u201d\u2013and seems to have served as an emblem for someone who has thus far treated her own dreams more like blueprints. Certainly, her confidence and willingness to leap from action to action is an extension of yet another dream. One that began with her father\u2019s arrival from India to seek an equitable life for his family, one that included greater access and opportunity for his children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From fast-food and fine-dining restaurants, to running a convenience store in a small town in southwest Missouri, he moved from state to state to follow the work. \u201cMy father was always looking for the next possibility,\u201d she remembers. \u201cI think I inherited that: the willingness to take risks, to pivot when I had to. And I relied on my mother\u2019s grounding energy and boundless support to remind me that this would all be worth it.\u201d Sapna\u2019s kinetic pursuit\u2014from community clinics to state government to the halls of BU Law\u2014illustrate a versatility that\u2019s become an asset to a trailblazer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">A trail that today finds her ensuring that Boston University is not merely observing the future of reproductive justice but helping to build it: student by student, family by family. Her balance of vision and action demonstrates how abortion rights, family formation, fertility, privacy, and race are not abstractions, but living, breathing tools for dignity requiring attention and action from tomorrow\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-three record-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2048\" height=\"1060\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"BURJ Program Directors\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-636x329.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1024x530.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-768x398.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1536x795.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1200x621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-992x513.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1500x776.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1920x994.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-500x259.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1000x518.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1984x1027.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/01\/BURJ_Dean_ProgramDirectors-1628x843.jpg 1628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Reproductive Justice<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2023\/after-roe-and-dobbs\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">After Roe, After Dobbs<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">June 2, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1039\" height=\"875\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Madeline Comer (\u201925)\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape.jpg 1039w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-636x536.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-1024x862.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-768x647.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-981x826.jpg 981w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-810x682.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-408x344.jpg 408w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-628x529.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2023\/12\/Madeline-Comer-landscape-817x688.jpg 817w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1039px) 100vw, 1039px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Student<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2023\/madeline-comer-advocates-for-survivors-of-sexual-violence\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">BU Law Student Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Violence<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">December 13, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2025\/05\/Roderick-George-3.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/05\/Roderick-George-3.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/05\/Roderick-George-3-636x477.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/05\/Roderick-George-3-459x344.jpeg 459w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Research<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2025\/alumni-giving-supports-students-in-depth-research-with-bu-law-faculty\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Alumni Giving Supports Students\u2019 In-Depth Research with BU Law Faculty<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">May 30, 2025<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the spring of 2022, with the insight and leadership of Law Faculty members Aziza Ahmed, Nicole Huberfeld and Linda McClain, Boston University School of Law launched a pioneering legal initiative rooted in reproductive justice.Known as the Boston University Program on Reproductive Justice (BUPRJ), the interdisciplinary program weaves together faculty across BU\u2014including the School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Arts &#038; Sciences, and Questrom School of Business among others\u2014to advance reproductive justice and women\u2019s health issues. This summer, BUPRJ welcomed Sapna Khatri as its inaugural Executive Director and as a Lecturer at the School of Law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19416,"featured_media":121616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":"Reproductive Justice"},"tags":[630,1939,2935],"bu-publication":[3742],"record-article-category":[3744,3753,4135,3786],"record-topic":[3914,4292],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/121606"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19416"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121606"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/121606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121823,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/121606\/revisions\/121823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121606"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=121606"},{"taxonomy":"record-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-article-category?post=121606"},{"taxonomy":"record-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-topic?post=121606"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=121606"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=121606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}