Hot Practice Trends: Ripple Effects from Landmark SCOTUS Marriage Equality Ruling

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In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, lawyers will have many opportunities to be on the cutting edge in a host of legal theory and legal practice questions—these are opportunities for employment, career development, and thought-leadership on the application and limits on the ruling. And they don't only affect family law practitioners and constitutional law litigators. Among the issues impacted or created are:

  • Fostering and adoption
  • Estate planning
  • Tax-exempt status of religious employers and service providers, as well as other organizations, that reject the ruling
  • Obligations of federal contractors
  • Other legal challenges to the ruling rooted in religious liberty claims
  • Immigration for LGBT partners and spouses
  • Updating employee policies, handbooks, training, and benefit plans
  • Updating laws, regulations, and forms
  • Gender-neutral language and culture
  • Ability of state and local governments to oppose the ruling
  • Application of the ruling to others who wish to marry