New! Same Sex Partnership Law Report

There's a battle raging in local, state and
federal legislative bodies and courts,
You know the issue. You deal with it every day.
Now, get the clarity you need to
help your clients keep and gain their rights.

Last November, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial
Court ruled in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public
Health that the state could not restrict marriage
to heterosexual couples.  Almost overnight, local
officials across the country performed marriages
for same-sex couples and the marriage laws of
more than a dozen states were challenged in
court. The momentum has not abated at the local,
state or federal level, nor does it appear that
it will be quickly or clearly settled.

• Know up-front how all of this activity will impact your
  clients.
• Defend your clients' rights, property, personal choices, and emotional
  bonds.
• Protect and shield your clients from this emotional roller-coaster
  ride.

For attorneys who work on benefits, employment,
matrimonial, inheritance, custody, and related
issues, the potential changes are dizzying.  Are
same-sex marriages legal?  Where?  Can same-sex
couples adopt children, file joint tax returns,
or make end-of-life decisions for their partners?
How about civil unions or domestic
partnerships ' are same-sex couples eligible to
become legally recognized partners?
And what rights would they receive?

ALM, the leading source for legal news
and analysis and publisher of The Matrimonial
Strategist, New York Family Law, and The American
Lawyer.

Now, ALM is launching a publication that keeps
you on top of all of these developments.  This
new monthly publication, Same Sex Partnership Law
Report, provides immediate answers to the crucial
issues of the day as they unfold.  By reading
Same Sex Partnership Law Report you can answer
for yourself and your clients:

• 
  In which states have new same-sex
  marriage cases been filed? What are plaintiffs
  seeking, and what arguments
  are they using?
• Will other states accept same-sex
  marriages performed in Massachusetts or
  from outside the U.S.?
• What do legal scholars see as the
  benefits and the
  dangers of a Federal Marriage Amendment?
• Which states specifically allow or specifically
  prohibit adoption by same-sex
  couples? How are
  legal challenges affecting these policies?
• Will states' growing support for
  adding civil rights
  protections for homosexuals become part
  of the marriage equation?
• Government agencies and universities have
  traditionally led the way in
  supporting benefits
  for same-sex partners. What are they
  doing today?
• Are hospitals revising their
  visitation policies for
  same-sex partners?
• How can same-sex partners write
  estate plans that
  transfer assets to the people they intend?
  Which types of estate
  plans have been able to
  withstand scrutiny?

With a combination of legal analytical articles,
news briefs, and a Legislative Watch, the Same
Sex Partnership Law Report is indispensable in
keeping you aware of this fast-changing area of
the law.

Keep up-to-date on changes and trends in benefits
policies and how they can impact your clients and
cases.
In just the past few months, our editors have
tracked legal challenges to same-sex marriage
bans in Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland,
New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington, and
elsewhere. We've followed key decisions on the
adoption rights of same-sex partners in Florida,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Virginia. And
we've detailed how local governments, religious
organizations, and private companies have changed
their benefits policies in Massachusetts to
adjust to the reality of same-sex marriages.
These are just some of the many developments that
are changing the landscape of matrimonial issues
in our nation on an almost daily basis and you
must know about them to serve your clients well.

Hype vs. Reality rely on the savvy advice of an
expert Editorial Board.  They'll separate the
real issues and offer first-hand experiences in
every issue.


Activity by proponents of same-sex marriage does
not necessarily result in changes in the law.
Same Sex Partnership Law Report helps you
separate hype from reality in this highly
emotional issue. On an issue that is so full of
emotional content, it's crucial to separate them.
Our expert Editorial Board members, drawn
from leading law firms and academia, understand
which arguments are likely to be
successful, as compared to those that have been
advanced for a public relations purpose more
than a legal precedent. You can turn to Same Sex
Partnership Law Report for unbiased analysis of
the strengths and weaknesses of various arguments
that are advanced for or against same-sex
marriage to help you win your battles.

Free online access to our state-by-state review
map will keep you posted on the latest
breaking news and potential legislative changes.
The online map is updated hourly.
Access to the map is free with your paid
subscription.


To complicate matters, much of the action on
same-sex marriage and related issues is in state
legislatures, not the courts.  Constitutional
amendments banning same-sex marriage in 11 states
have been introduced this fall – illustrating
that there is widespread support for retaining
the status quo. Yet, during this same
period, states such as California, New Jersey,
and New York have passed legislation
that has expanded access to health care or
hospital visitation rights for same-sex partners.
With Same Sex Partnership Law Report you'll stay
on top of the legislative battles that emerged in
more than 30 states in the spring and summer of
2004 and are sure to return in 2005 and beyond.

Subscribe to Same Sex Partnership Law Report and
receive free access to the online
interactive state-by-state map.


The rapidity with which same-sex marriage has
become a major national issue has surprised
both opponents and gay-rights activists.  All
observers see more of the same in the next
several years, as localities, states, and the
U.S. Congress and federal agencies wrestle with
these difficult questions.  Attorneys and other
professionals who work on marriage, inheritance,
custody, and related issues cannot afford
to be behind on the developments.  By reading
Same Sex Partnership Law Report each month,
rest assured that you will have the best
information, the most objective analysis, and the
most complete tracking of all of the issues.


100% Money Back Guarantee

Subscribe today at the low introductory
rate. With your paid subscription, you will
receive free access to our online service. If you are not
completely satisfied with your subscription,
you may cancel at any time and receive a full refund.

Sincerely,

Sofia A. Pables
Associate Publisher

P.S. ' By subscribing to Same Sex Partnership Law
Report you will receive free access to our
acclaimed online service, “Same-Sex Marriage: A
State-by-State Review.”  Launched in March 2004,
this daily update gives you the first look at the
legal, political, and business landscape of
same-sex marriage and related issues.