LGBT Litigator Committee

Mission

Welcome to the ABA Section of Litigation LGBT Litigator Committee.

Our mission is two-fold.  First, we offer publications and programming to inform our members about cutting-edge litigation and other legal developments affecting the LGBT community.  Second, we provide a forum for our members to network and to discuss the unique issues that LGBT litigators face within their law practices.  We also work with other ABA groups to support policy statements promoting full equality for LGBT persons.

By joining our committee, you will receive our newsletter, LGBT Litigator, which provides updates and valuable practice tips for law students and lawyers who are LGBT, and their allies.  You will also receive periodic emails from the Committee with case notes, information on programs, and networking opportunities.  You will also receive advance notice of roundtables and CLE programming sponsored by the Committee.  In 2012, we have offered programs on same-sex marriage litigation and on litigation surrounding school bullying, including the bullying of LGBT students.

Membership in our committee is open to all members of the Section of Litigation, whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.  We hope that you will join us and that we will see you at an upcoming event.

Join this Committee

Announcements

ABA SOGI Commission, National LGBT Bar Submissions Call

The American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and the National LGBT Bar Association are pleased to announce their joint publication, OUT and ABOUT: The LGBT Experience in the Legal Profession, an edited collection of personal essays, to be published in the fall of 2013. Out and About will share experiences of LGBT attorneys, academicians, and jurists, through their own words, in an effort to educate the legal profession and the general public about this diverse group and its contributions and struggles.

The groups are currently seeking submissions. In general, they are looking for personal stories from 800 to 1,200 words in length on the experiences of the LGBT legal community. The focus of the essays may be as broad or narrow as each author desires, generally discussing when, where, and how she or he has progressed or advanced in his or her career, if being LGBT impacted them, and how.

For more information, to recommend a contributor, or to submit your essay for consideration, please contact Robin Rone, SOGI Commission Director, at Robin.Rone@americanbar.org.

Call for Contributing Authors

We are seeking authors to contribute to the LGBT Litigator. All types of articles are welcome (such as articles examining the practical considerations of practicing as part of the LGBT community, articles summarizing or exploring the implications of particular governmental policies, laws and regulations, or articles that illustrate a line of cases in regard to a theme). If you would like more information on the guidelines for submissions, guidance in selecting a topic, or the procedures for writing an article for the LGBT Litigator, please contact one of our editors: Nick Drury, Robb McFadden, or Emily Babcock.

All articles will be considered. We post a new edition of the newsletter quarterly. Please take some time to review some of the recent articles and editions to get a feel for the publication.

Nick Drury

LGBT Litigator Editor

Message from the Chairs

Greetings and welcome to the webpage of the LGBT Litigator Committee of the Section of Litigation. Our Publications Subcommittee—led by Nick Drury, Robb McFadden, and Emily Babcock—maintain our site and are working hard to bring you resources for your practice, the latest on legal developments of interest to the LGBT community, and tips and suggestions for LGBT litigators.

LGBT Litigator has a busy few months ahead. In January 2013, we are planning a roundtable call-in program featuring leading advocates discussing the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding the pending cert petitions in the same-sex marriage cases.  In April, we will be presenting a more comprehensive CLE program on same-sex marriage litigation at the 2013 Section of Litigation Annual Conference in Chicago. And over the course of the next few months, we plan to host mixers in several cities to introduce new members to the committee. Please check our site periodically for the latest updates and content.

Please don’t hesitate to provide us with suggestions for activities or programming. We are also looking for new leaders interested in serving as a subcommittee chair. We want to hear from you!

Dalton Courson
Kevin Kraham
Cochairs, LGBT Litigator Committee

Subcommittees

Find contact information for committee and subcommittee chairs:

» Download Subcommittee Leadership Roster |