Pro-Life Action League

Pro-Life Action League
Name	Pro-Life Action League
Formation	1980
Founder	Joseph M. Scheidler
Type	Nonprofit advocacy group
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Eric Scheidler

Pro-Life Action League is an American anti-abortion advocacy organization founded in 1980 in Chicago, Illinois. The group organizes public demonstrations, sidewalk counseling, and legal campaigns opposing abortion and supporting anti‑abortion legislation and policies. It is known for high‑profile protests, strategic litigation, and training activists through outreach and publications.

History

The organization was founded in 1980 by Joseph M. Scheidler, a veteran of Protestant activism and an early organizer in the post‑Roe v. Wade landscape. During the 1980s and 1990s it participated in nationwide mobilizations alongside groups such as Operation Rescue, National Right to Life Committee, March for Life, and local chapters of 40 Days for Life. In the 1990s the group became central to litigation culminating in cases before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court involving allegations of obstruction and racketeering. Leadership transitioned to Joseph Scheidler's son, Eric Scheidler, who had been active in regional organizing and national coalitions including collaborations with Focus on the Family and conservative legal organizations.

Mission and Activities

The organization's stated mission emphasizes ending abortion through public witness, legal advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Activities include sidewalk counseling near reproductive health clinics, organizing prayer vigils, staging demonstrations, producing training materials, and coordinating with allied organizations such as Susan B. Anthony List, Family Research Council, and various diocesan pro‑life offices. The group also publishes newsletters and maintains outreach efforts that intersect with campaigns by political actors like the Republican Party and policy advocates associated with think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation.

Notable Campaigns and Protests

The group has led and participated in numerous demonstrations, including high‑profile actions in front of clinics in cities such as Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C.. It coordinated protests that aligned with national events like the March for Life and partnered with street‑level direct action groups including Operation Rescue during blockades and clinic demonstrations. The organization gained media attention for multi‑year campaigns against clinic operators and for public campaigns involving controversies over tactics similar to those highlighted in media outlets such as The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and broadcast networks like CNN and Fox News.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The group is structured as a nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Leadership has included founder Joseph M. Scheidler and his son Eric Scheidler as executive director; other staff and regional coordinators work with local volunteer affiliates and coalition partners such as National Right to Life Committee, state pro‑life federations, and campus organizations tied to groups like Students for Life of America. The organization organizes training sessions, publishes manuals, and networks with legal allies at organizations including the American Center for Law and Justice and conservative litigation groups.

Legal Actions and Controversies

The organization has been involved in significant litigation. In the 1980s and 1990s it faced civil suits that reached the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court concerning alleged obstruction of clinic access and claims invoking statutes like the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. These cases involved interlocutory appeals, injunctions, and debates over the scope of protest activity versus criminal liability, drawing in legal actors from advocacy organizations and prompting commentary from scholars in publications related to First Amendment jurisprudence. The group's tactics—particularly sidewalk counseling and demonstrations—have prompted local ordinances and law enforcement responses in municipalities such as Chicago, Illinois and other jurisdictions that enacted buffer zone rules similar to those considered in cases like McCullen v. Coakley.

Public Reception and Impact

Public reception has been polarized. Supporters include religious institutions, parish pro‑life committees, and conservative political organizations that credit the group with mobilizing activists and influencing state and federal debates on abortion policy. Critics include reproductive rights organizations such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro‑Choice America, civil liberties groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, and journalists who have critiqued the group's tactics and legal positions. The group's activities have contributed to broader cultural and legal contests over clinic access, protest regulation, and elected‑official platforms, intersecting with national debates in legislative bodies such as state legislatures and the United States Congress.

Category:Anti-abortion organizations in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Category:Organizations established in 1980