I hope you are enjoying your summer. It was great seeing such a big turnout at last week's happy hour!

BALIF's Amicus Committee and our pro bono counsel, Munger, Tolles & Olson have been busy this summer working on the marriage equality front. BALIF has recently filed amicus briefs for cases in the 6th, 7th, and 9th Circuits, and will submit a brief in the 5th Circuit next month, challenging state statutory and constitutional gay marriage bans in Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Texas.

The amicus briefs argue that the marriage bans inflict tangible legal and economic harm on same-sex couples and their children without any legitimate governmental purpose. We are pleased that the decisions coming out of the 4th and 10th Circuits (where BALIF also submitted amicus briefs) have struck down as unconstitutional the marriage bans in Virginia, Utah, and Oklahoma, though it is still a waiting game pending the disposition of the petitions for writ of certiorari that were recently filed with the U.S. Supreme Court for each of the cases.

BALIF is proud to have coordinated with numerous other bar associations, LGBT organizations, and civil rights groups from around the country in submitting these briefs. If you would like to join BALIF's Amicus Committee, or wish to recommend a case for the submission of an amicus brief, please contact us at amicus@balif.org.


Leah Nutting
BALIF Board Amicus Chair