DEBRA H. v. JANICE R.

Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., New York City ( Susan L. Sommer and Jeremy R. Sanders of counsel), and Cohen Hennessey Bienstock & Rabin P.C. ( Bonnie E. Rabin and Orrit Hershkovitz of counsel), for Debra H., appellant.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, New York City ( Jennifer L. Colyer , Adam B. Gottlieb and Scott Thompson of counsel), and Parisi & Associates ( Anthony Parisi III of counsel), for M.R., appellant.

Reiss Eisenpress LLP, New York City ( Sherri L. Eisenpress , Matthew Sheppe and Audrey E. Weinberger of counsel), for respondent.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, New York City ( Eve Preminger and Jason Moff of counsel), for National Association of Social Workers and others, amici curiae.

Suzanne B. Goldberg , New York City, for Richard Allan and others, amici curiae.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York City ( Maeve O'Connor and Patrice Sabach of counsel), and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP ( Vaughn Williams , Sean Marlaire and Katrina James of counsel), for Citizens' Committee for Children and others, amici curiae.

Michael Getnick , Albany, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City ( Roberta A. Kaplan , Michael N. Berger and Julie E. Fink of counsel), for New York State Bar Association, amicus curiae.

Hogan & Hartson LLP, New York City ( Allen A. Drexel , Hoa T.T. Hoang , Katie M. Lachter , Dennis M. Quinio , Brian G. Strand and Samuel E. Wolfe of counsel), Cynthia L. Schrock Seeley , Ann B. Lesk , Allan E. Mayefsky , Dakota D. Ramseur , Roberto Ramirez and Jonathan B. Behrins , Staten Island, for New York City Bar Association and others, amici curiae.

New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York City ( Matthew Faiella , Galen Sherwin and Arthur Eisenberg of counsel), and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation ( Rose Saxe of counsel), for New York Civil Liberties Union and others, amici curiae.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, New York City ( Marina Tsatalis , Elizabeth Tippett and Joy Chia of counsel), for National Center for Lesbian Rights and others, amici curiae.

Alliance Defense Fund, Scottsdale, Arizona ( Brian W. Raum of counsel), and Ruta & Soulios, LLP, New York City ( Joseph A. Ruta of counsel), for New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, Ltd., amicus curiae.

Alan J. Pierce , Syracuse, for Single Mothers by Choice and others, amici curiae.

Law Offices of Robert W. Dapelo, P.C., Patchogue ( Robert W. Dapelo of counsel), and Marriage Law Foundation, Lehi, Utah ( William C. Duncan of counsel), for Family Watch International, amicus curiae.

Judges GRAFFEO, PIGOTT and JONES concur with Judge READ; Judge GRAFFEO concurs in a separate concurring opinion in which Judge JONES also concurs; Judge CIPARICK concurs in result in another opinion in which Chief Judge LIPPMAN concurs; Judge SMITH concurs in result in another opinion.