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