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Pro Bono Clients Challenge Mississippi's Gay Adoption Ban
- Client News
- August 11, 2015
Practices
As reported in The New York Times and other media outlets, Paul, Weiss filed suit in Mississippi federal district court on behalf of its clients the Campaign for Southern Equality, the Family Equality Council and four couples, challenging the state's ban on adoption and fostering by gay and lesbian couples. Mississippi is the last state to categorically bar gay and lesbian couples from adopting, without any regard for their qualifications as parents, or the best interests of the child.
The suit alleges that Mississippi's law violates the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantees of equal protection and due process, and that it irreparably harms gay and lesbian couples and their children, as well as the 400 Mississippi children currently languishing in protective custody while qualified and willing gay and lesbian couples are denied the chance to provide them with safe and loving homes.
The Paul, Weiss team included litigation partners Roberta Kaplan, Andrew Ehrlich and Jaren Janghorbani and associates Joshua Kaye, Jacob Hupart, Michael Nadler, Alexia Koritz, Amy Beaux, Jordana Haviv, Rebecca Matte and Asher Smith.