Challenging Proposition 8 & Advising Same-Sex Couples in the Meantime
12.10.2008 | San Francisco
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
8:30am to 11:00am
Hosted by The Commonweath Club
595 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
2.0 Hours CA MCLE Credit
Moderated by James J. Brosnahan, Senior Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP, this seasoned panel consists of attorneys Deborah H. Wald, Fred Hertz of SameSexLaw, Deb Kinney of the DLK Law Group, and Bobbie J. Wilson, Litigation Director with Howard Rice and lead pro bono counsel for the City and County of San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom, and former Assessor Mabel Tang in the marriage cases for same-sex couples.
Discussion will include the legal strategies for challenging Proposition 8’s validity while taking a candid look at the challenges they face from well-funded opposition and the upcoming retention election for the chief justice. Our panel will also discuss what Proposition 8 means for the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples married this year; whether the decision retroactively invalidates those marriages; and, if employers must continue offering marriage benefits to these couples. Finally, our panel will explore the practical issues facing lawyers who serve same-sex couples in family law, tax, estate and other practice areas, while the final outcome is decided.