Sarah Catherine Ragle Weddington (February 5, 1945 – December 26, 2021) was an American attorney, law professor, advocate for women's rights and reproductive health, and member of the Texas House of Representatives.

[11] After graduating, Weddington found it difficult to find a job with a law firm.

[9] She joined a group of graduate students at University of Texas-Austin who were researching ways to challenge various anti-abortion statutes.

[12][failed verification] Soon after, a pregnant woman named Norma McCorvey visited a local attorney seeking an abortion.

[14] In March 1970, Weddington and her co-counsel filed suit against Henry Wade, the Dallas district attorney and the person responsible for enforcing the anti-abortion statute.

[15] McCorvey became the landmark plaintiff and was referred in the legal documents as "Jane Roe" to protect her identity.

[24] In 1992, Weddington compiled her experiences with the case and interviews with the people involved into a book titled A Question of Choice.

[25] By the time Roe v. Wade was decided in January 1973, Weddington was elected to the Texas House of Representatives and re-elected to another two terms.

[35] Weddington died at her home in Austin on December 26, 2021, at age 76, after a period of declining health.

[5][36][37] News outlets noted that her death occurred shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case reconsidering – and ultimately overturning – the Roe v. Wade decision.