The Supreme Court released its opinion last week in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending nearly 50 years of federal governance over abortion policy. It was a historic moment, with Roe now joining Plessy v. Ferguson in the list of momentous u-turns in Supreme Court case law.

While the decision itself has drawn most of the media attention, another story deserves to be told: How did it happen? …