Earlier today, Harrisburg-based Federal District Court Judge John E. Jones, III, struck down Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. In this landmark ruling, Jones concluded that “same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in the Commonwealth.”
Continue Reading Federal Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Same-Sex Marriage Ban

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Department of Labor has just issued updated guidance for employers concerning the rights of same-sex spouses under the Family and Medical Leave Act. As you may recall from our earlier blog post on the legal implications of the Windsor case, in a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage under federal law as “a legal union only between one man and one woman as husband and wife.”
Continue Reading DOL Issues Clarification of FMLA Rights for Same-Sex Spouses

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down as unconstitutional a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defined “marriage” for purposes of over 1,100 federal laws as a legal union between a man and a woman. With the Court’s decision, same-sex couples that are legally married under state law are now entitled to the same treatment under federal law as opposite-sex married couples. Chief among the benefits now available to same-sex married couples are equal treatment under the country’s immigration and tax laws and equal rights to participate in its federal health and welfare programs. The Court’s decision striking down DOMA also will have a significant impact on the rights of same-sex married couples under various federal laws relating to employment.
Continue Reading Pennsylvania Employers Left Wondering How They Are Affected by the Supreme Court’s Decision on DOMA