Tag Archives: lgbt marriage

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case that could potentially grant marriage rights to gay couples in all 50 states, but the justices indicated that they would punt the issue instead. Hollingsworth v. Perry is the first case the Supreme Court has ever heard on same-sex marriage, at a moment when the country’s support for equality has reached an all-time high. The journey of LGBT marriage to Washington, D.C., has taken years. In 2008, the California Supreme …

By Larry Bodine, Editor in Chief, Lawyers.com Editorial We are on the threshold of a historic decision on individual rights by the Supreme Court of the United States as it considers two cases involving same-sex marriage. The cases about “who you love” could change the laws in 41 states and more than 1,000 federal statutes. Regardless of what is said in the oral arguments, a reading of the merits briefs makes it clear that the Court will have to rule …

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court last week upheld the island’s ban on same-sex couples adopting children, noting that the legislature could change the law if it wished.   ‘The state … has not criminalized their sentimental relationship, but it does not have a constitutional obligation to award this relationship the same rights that other relationships have when it comes to adoption procedures,’’ the majority opinion said. The ruling quashed the efforts of a woman to adopt her 12-year-old child, who was …

Lawmakers in Illinois and Rhode Island are set to consider same-sex marriage bills early this year, which could make them the 10th and 11th states to bring marriage equality to their residents. Illinois fell just short of introducing a marriage equality bill last week before the end of the last legislative session, but lawmakers plan to put a bill forward after the new session starts January 9.  Rhode Island introduced legislation for LGBT marriage last week, which if passed would …

With 2012 in the books, it’s time to look back at the landslide of legislation, lawsuits and judicial decisions that have had far-reaching effects on Americans’ access to health care, marriage, voting, Second, Fourth and Seventh Amendment rights and more. Lawyers.com takes a peek at the top consumer legal stories of the year:   Obamacare survives legal challenges: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is set to change the face of health care as we know it, …