Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, some commentators have predicted there will be a "brain drain" of highly educated professionals from states that enact or reinstate laws severely restricting abortion. LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik and The Scientist have published articles predicting a general brain drain away from states with restrictive abortion laws. The Washington Post has an article positing a brain drain of doctors, while Scientific American has one focused on Ob-Gyns. The "brain drain" theory is distinct from - though related to - the idea that people generally will "vote with their feet" for pro-choice jurisdictions. Highly educated professionals might migrate en masse even if few other people do - or vice versa.
