STATE BAR PREPARES LAWYERS TO ASSIST LGBT CLIENTS AFFECTED BY SUPREME COURT RULING ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

ALBANY, NY (08/28/2015)(readMedia)-- Same-sex marriage has been legal in New York since 2011. Four years later, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges struck down laws in other states that prohibited same-sex marriage. The new legal landscape poses issues for New York attorneys and their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients.

Those legal issues are the focus of a continuing legal education (CLE) program, "Representing LGBT Clients After Obergefell,"sponsored by the New York State Bar Association and other groups on September 11. A panel of experts will offer practical advice to attorneys on how Obergefell affects the family, employment, trusts and estates areas of practice, and will address current legal issues impacting the transgender community.

"The New York State Bar Association stands with those who seek equal dignity in the eyes of the law, and has worked to advance equality in New York and throughout the nation," said Association President David P. Miranda. "We will continue to work with lawyers to fully prepare them for the complex legal issues that lie ahead for same-sex couples."

The CLE program, one of the first of its kind in New York since the Obergefell decision, will highlight four topics:

• Marriage and Same-Sex Parenting: This session will delve into the question of what a parent is and will examine the effect an out-of-state marriage or civil union has on determining a child's legitimate parent/s.

• Employment Law Practice: Panelists will discuss how Obergefell changes the employee benefit landscape, including taking leave under the Family Medical Leave Act.

• Estate Planning: Is it legally advantageous for lesbian and gay couples in long-term relationships to get married? This question is explored, as well as other important issues for lawyers who are reviewing and revising wills for clients who recently have married.

• Representing the Transgender Client: Although the Supreme Court did not specifically address transgender issues within the scope of its decision in Obergefell, this panel will examine developing legal issues affecting the transgender community in the family, employment, and estate planning areas of practice.

CLE Details

The CLE will be presented starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 11 at the CUNY Graduate Center Recital Hall, 365 Fifth Avenue in New York City. It also will be available as a simultaneous live webcast.

Upon completing the program, attorneys are eligible for 4.0 MCLE credits (in areas of professional practice). Newly admitted attorneys (less than 24 months) must attend in person to receive New York MCLE credit.

To register online, go to www.nysba.org/obergefell.

Co-sponsors include the Association's Committee on LGBT Persons and the Law, Committee on Continuing Legal Education, and its Family Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Trusts and Estates Law sections. The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (LeGaL) and the New York chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) are also co-sponsoring the event.

The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.

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