Paul Drew Clement is an American lawyer who served as U.S. Solicitor General from 2004 to 2008 and is known for his advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court. He established his own law firm,Clement &Murphy,in 2022 after leaving Kirkland &Ellis,following that firm’s decision to end its Second Amendment work. He is also a Distinguished Lecturer in Law at Georgetown University and an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on March 14,2005,for the post of Solicitor General,confirmed by the United States Senate on June 8,2005,and took the oath of office on June 13.
Richard John Baker v. Gerald R. Nelson,291 Minn. 310,191 N.W.2d 185 (1971),was a case in which the Minnesota Supreme Court decided that construing a marriage statute to restrict marriage licenses to persons of the opposite sex "does not offend" the U.S. Constitution. Baker appealed the decision,and on October 10,1972,the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the appeal "for want of a substantial federal question".
Charles J. "Chuck" Cooper is an appellate attorney and litigator in Washington,D.C.,where he is a founding member and chairman of the law firm Cooper &Kirk,PLLC. He was named by The National Law Journal as one of the 10 best civil litigators in Washington. The New York Times described him as "one of Washington’s best-known lawyers." He has represented prominent American political figures,including Attorney General Jeff Sessions,in response to the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections;Attorney General John Ashcroft;and former National Security Adviser and United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
William Duncan Schuette is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd attorney general of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Senate in 1990 and for Governor of Michigan in the 2018 gubernatorial election.
Michigan Proposal 04-2 of 2004,is an amendment to the Michigan Constitution that made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The referendum was approved by 59% of the voters. The amendment faced multiple legal challenges and was finally overturned in Obergefell v. Hodges by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Solicitor General of Ohio,Ohio Solicitor General,State Solicitor of Ohio,or Ohio State Solicitor is the top appellate solicitor or lawyer for the U.S. State of Ohio. It is an appointed position in the Office of the Ohio Attorney General that focuses on the office's major appellate cases. The majority of the cases handled by the Solicitor are argued in the United States Supreme Court or the Supreme Court of Ohio. However some cases within the Solicitor's responsibilities are under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and the state appellate courts. The Solicitor represents the Attorney General of Ohio before the Supreme Court of Ohio and other appellate courts,as needed. The Solicitor's office writes most of the amicus briefs filed by the Ohio attorney general’s office.
Warner Norcross + Judd LLP is a corporate law firm with over 230 attorneys serving clients in nine offices throughout Michigan. Among the largest law firms in Michigan,Warner works in virtually all areas of business law.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Michigan since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26,2015. The U.S. state of Michigan had previously banned the recognition of same-sex unions in any form after a popular vote added an amendment to the Constitution of Michigan in 2004. A statute enacted in 1996 also banned both the licensing of same-sex marriages and the recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Alabama since June 26,2015,in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Not all counties immediately complied with the ruling,copying behavior from the civil rights era when they had refused to perform interracial marriages. A year after the Supreme Court ruling,twelve counties would either issue licenses to no one or only to opposite-sex couples. By 2017,this number had dropped to only eight counties,with all eight refusing to issue licenses to anyone. In May 2019,the Alabama Legislature passed a bill replacing the option that counties issue marriage licenses and perform marriage ceremonies with the requirement of counties to record marriage certificates. Subsequently,all counties complied and announced on August 29,2019 that they would record marriage certificates for interracial and same-sex couples. Previously,Alabama had banned the licensing of same-sex marriages and the recognition of such marriages from other jurisdictions by executive order in 1996,by statute in 1998,and by constitutional amendment in June 2006.
Same-sex marriage is not currently performed in American Samoa,though same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions are recognized. On June 26,2015,the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. The ruling legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in the United States;however,it is uncertain how the ruling applies to American Samoa as the territory is unincorporated and unorganized. In July 2015,Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga said he believed that the Supreme Court's ruling does not apply to American Samoa.
The solicitor general of Florida or Florida solicitor general is the top appellate (appeals) solicitor (lawyer) for the U.S. State of Florida. It is an appointed position in the Office of the Florida Attorney General and the individual serves at the pleasure of the attorney general. Many of the cases handled by the Solicitor are argued in the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Florida. However some cases within the solicitor's responsibilities are under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the state appellate courts. The solicitor represents the Florida attorney general before the Florida Supreme Court and other appellate courts,as needed. He also decides whether the State of Florida has an interest in all cases filed in the Florida Supreme Court and if the state should file or join an amicus brief.
The Michigan Solicitor General or Solicitor General of Michigan is the top appellate lawyer for the State of Michigan. It is an appointed position in the Office of the Michigan Attorney General,with supervision over all of the office's major appellate cases and amici briefs. The majority of the matters that the Solicitor General handles are argued in the United States Supreme Court and the Michigan Supreme Court,although the Solicitor General is also responsible for Michigan's filings in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit,Michigan's appellate courts,and other federal and state appellate courts. On January 15,2019,Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel named Fadwa A. Hammoud Michigan Solicitor General.
DeBoer v. Snyder is a lawsuit that was filed by April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse on January 23,2012,in federal district court,challenging Michigan's ban on adoption by same-sex couples so they can jointly adopt their children. In August 2012,Judge Bernard A. Friedman invited the couple to amend their suit to challenge the state's ban on same-sex marriage,"the underlying issue". Following a hearing on October 16,2013,Friedman scheduled a trial that ran from February 25 to March 7,2014. On March 21,Judge Friedman issued his ruling overturning the ban. On March 22,the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit placed a temporary hold on Judge Friedman's ruling. The appeal was argued on August 6. On November 6,the Sixth Circuit reversed Judge Friedman and upheld Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Tennessee since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26,2015. Governor Bill Haslam quickly announced that the state would abide by the court's decision,and same-sex couples began to marry in Tennessee. Previously,Tennessee had banned same-sex marriage both by statute and its State Constitution.
Schuette v. BAMN,572 U.S. 291 (2014),was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning affirmative action and race- and sex-based discrimination in public university admissions. In a 6-2 decision,the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause does not prevent states from enacting bans on affirmative action in education.
Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. 644 (2015),is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The 5–4 ruling requires all 50 states,the District of Columbia,and the Insular Areas to perform and recognize the marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as the marriages of opposite-sex couples,with equal rights and responsibilities. Prior to Obergefell,same-sex marriage had already been established by statute,court ruling,or voter initiative in 36 states,the District of Columbia,and Guam.
Gene C. Schaerr is an American attorney.
Jonathan Franklin Mitchell is an American lawyer,academic,and legal theorist who served as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2010 to 2015. He has argued seven cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mitchell has served on the faculties of Stanford Law School,the University of Texas School of Law,the George Mason University School of Law,and the University of Chicago Law School. In 2018,he opened a private solo legal practice in Austin,Texas.
Dana Michelle Nessel is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 54th Attorney General of Michigan since January 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Accidental Activists is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Mandi Wright. It was written and produced by Kathy Kieliszewski,in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press. The film follows April DeBoer and her partner Jayne Rowse,who went to court and challenged the state of Michigan's adoption law. When the judge told them they would lose their case,he suggested they instead challenge the state's same-sex marriage ban. They consider themselves "accidental activists," meaning they filed lawsuits not to further a cause,but because of the way the bans affected their lives. The documentary premiered on April 2,2016,at the Freep Film Festival,and went on to screen at several other film fests around the country. It was later shown on Detroit Public TV.
