In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision that established same-sex marriage as a constitutional right, Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law will host a symposium on the history and lasting impact of Obergefell v. Hodges on Thursday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the school’s Student Union Ballroom.
The symposium is part of the Northern Kentucky Law Review’s annual programming and designed for both legal professionals and the general public. The event will offer an opportunity to hear from key figures involved in the landmark case that originated in Cincinnati.
“The Obergefell decision reshaped the legal and social landscape of our nation,” said Judith Daar, dean of the Chase College of Law. “As we mark its 10th anniversary, Chase is honored to bring key participants, legal scholars and the community together to reflect on its impact and discuss the challenges that lie ahead.”
The opening panel will feature James Obergefell, the Cincinnati plaintiff whose fight for marriage recognition changed U.S. law; Richard Hodges, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health and titular defendant in the case; Al Gerhardstein, Obergefell’s attorney and lead counsel before the Supreme Court; and a recorded video of Judge Timothy Black, a Chase alumnus and the U.S. District Court judge who ruled in favor of Mr. Obergefell at the trial.
Additional panels of law professors, judges and advocates from across the United States will explore related topics including reproductive and family rights, the intersection of the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the future of civil rights in the U.S.
Registration, which includes lunch, is $65 for the general public, $50 for NKU alumni and free for university students, faculty and staff.
Lawyers who attend may request six hours of continuing legal education credit in their licensing jurisdictions. Register for the symposium on the NKU website. Find additional information on panels and panelists at chaselaw.nku.edu.
Northern Kentucky University