Weddington told a variety of entertaining anecdotes, ranging from stories about buttons with crossed-out coat-hangers-representing opposition to an old form of abortion-to former presidential candidate Ross Perot. However, the focus of her lecture was that "Roe v. Wade was part of a bigger picture that changed the world."
She said that the societal standards for females of the time had her on a track to become an eighth-grade English teacher. However, her determination led her down a different path and she became the first woman from McMurry College (now McMurry University) to enroll in law school.
At first, Weddington was unable to get a job at a law firm. She said that male lawyers questioned how she could work the long hours required of a lawyer and still be able to be home to cook dinner for her family. Finally, with persistence and a great deal of research, she argued her first case-Roe v. Wade.
Weddington said she felt that Roe v. Wade was part of a movement to "redefine who people are and what their abilities can be." She said people should refuse to have their options limited and reflected on how much the role of women has changed since her school days. She recalled that she and her female friends were never allowed to take more than two steps at a time while playing basketball. The theory was that "you'd hurt your innards, and that's your meal ticket."
Weddington said she was approached when she was a young and inexperienced lawyer working for one of her professors by a young woman asking for her help. She offered her assistance, not expecting to argue before the Supreme Court.
"We wanted a woman lawyer," Weddington said her client later told her. "You're the only one we'd ever heard of, and we wanted someone who'd do it for free." Weddington was notified that the Supreme Court was going to take her case in 1970, only three years after her graduation from law school.
According to Weddington, the Supreme Court's decision was based on three different issues. The Court questioned whether pregnancy was fundamental and therefore worthy of consideration and answered in the affirmative.
The Court also questioned whether there was a constitutional right to privacy. To answer this question, Weddington cited Griswold v. Connecticut, a case in which a Connecticut law banning contraception was overturned because of privacy concerns. She also claimed that privacy is protected by the ninth and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.
Finally, the Court questioned whether there was a compelling reason for the state to regulate abortion, which led to the question of when life begins. Weddington responded by citing examples of laws regarding taxes, citizenship and passports, none of which treat fetuses as living people.
Weddington also discussed the role of Roe v. Wade in today's society. "What is happening right now is many attempts to undermine Roe v. Wade," she said. "There are attempts to define a fertilized egg as a human being." She criticized the Bush administration's withholding of funds that are supposed to go to the U.N. family planning programs. She also criticized laws that allow people other than the mother to prevent an abortion from taking place, some of which have been struck down.
Weddington closed with general remarks about gender and society. "It is important that we develop women as leaders because they bring important values to leadership positions," she said. "You see, we need you all as leaders. I think we have a leadership vacuum ... You all are going to do so much more than my generation."
Sieck said she thought the lecture was a success. "I had many people tell me how important her comments on leadership were," she said. "I was most touched by her message that anyone can make a difference. "She is living proof that as long as we care about the world and are willing to work for what we believe in, there is always hope."
"Freedom is not free," said Weddington, as she concluded her speech. "The question is: who will save it?"