Wisdom in the Public Sphere: Nancy Neveloff Dubler and the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law

AbstractIn this article we focus on Nancy Neveloff Dubler's role on the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law as means to illustrate her public policy contributions as a bioethicist. We review the historical origins of the Task Force, its impact on and contributions to bioethics, and the law. We then make metaobservations about Dubler's commitment to social justice as a governing principle in her deliberative stance on the Task Force. To that end, we specifically highlight Dubler's contributions to the Task Force regarding the extension of the Family Health Care Decisions Act, New York's surrogate decision-making law, to people with disabilities; gestational surrogacy; and the need for crisis standards of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We maintain that Dubler's contributions to public bioethics were as significant as her work at the bedside in clinical ethics consultation.