Attorney(s) appearing for the Case
ARGUED: David Brandt Oakley , Poole Mahoney PC, Chesapeake, Virginia; David Austin Robert Nimocks , Alliance Defending Freedom, Washington, D.C., for Appellants George E. Schaefer, III , and Michele McQuigg. Stuart Alan Raphael , Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellant Janet M. Rainey. Theodore B. Olson , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellees. James D. Esseks , American Civil Liberties Union, New York, New York, for Interveners. ON BRIEF: Jeffrey F. Brooke , Poole Mahoney PC, Chesapeake, Virginia, for Appellant George E. Schaefer, III. Byron J. Babione , Kenneth J. Connelly , J. Caleb Dalton , Alliance Defending Freedom, Scottsdale, Arizona, for Appellant Michele B. McQuigg. Mark R. Herring , Attorney General, Cynthia E. Hudson , Chief Deputy Attorney General, Rhodes B. Ritenour , Deputy Attorney General, Allyson K. Tysinger , Senior Assistant Attorney General, Catherine Crooks Hill , Senior Assistant Attorney General, Trevor S. Cox , Deputy Solicitor General, Office of The Attorney General of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellant Janet M. Rainey. David Boies , Armonk, New York, William A. Isaacson , Washington, D.C., Jeremy M. Goldman , Oakland, California, Robert Silver , Joshua I. Schiller , Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, New York, New York; Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. , Joshua S. Lipshutz , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Los Angeles, California; Thomas B. Shuttleworth , Robert E. Ruloff , Charles B. Lustig , Andrew M. Hendrick , Erik C. Porcaro , Shuttleworth, Ruloff, Swain, Haddad & Morecock, P.C., Virginia Beach , Virginia, for Appellees. Rebecca K. Glenberg , American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Foundation, Inc., Richmond, Virginia; Joshua A. Block , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, New York; Gregory R. Nevins , Tara L. Borelli , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; Paul M. Smith , Luke C. Platzer , Mark P. Gaber , Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, D.C., for Intervenors. David A. Robinson , North Haven , Connecticut, as Amicus. Lynn D. Wardle , Brigham Young University Law School, Provo, Utah; William C. Duncan , Marriage Law Foundation, Lehi, Utah, for Amici Alan J. Hawkins and Jason S. Carroll. Deborah J. Dewart , Deborah J. Dewart, Attorney at Law, Swansboro, North Carolina, for Amici North Carolina Values Coalition and Liberty, Life, and Law Foundation. Steve C. Taylor , Alliance Legal Group, Chesapeake, Virginia, for Amicus Social Science Professors. Paul Benjamin , Linton, Northbrook, Illinois, for Amicus Family Research Council. John C. Eastman , Anthony T. Caso , Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Orange, California, for Amici Virginia Catholic Conference, LLC and Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence. Patrick Morrisey , Attorney General, Julie Marie Blake , Assistant Attorney General, Elbert Lin , Solicitor General, Office of the West Virginia Attorney General, Charleston, West Virginia, for Amicus State of West Virginia. D. John Sauer , St. Louis, Missouri, for Amicus Institute for Marriage and Public Policy. Henry P. Wall , Columbia, South Carolina, for Amicus Helen M. Alvare. Gregory F. Zoeller , Attorney General, Thomas M. Fisher , Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General, Indianapolis, Indiana; Luther Strange , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama; Michael C. Geraghty , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska; Thomas C. Horne , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona; John Suthers , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Colorado, Denver, Colorado; Lawrence G. Wasden , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Idaho, Boise, Idaho; James D. "Buddy" Caldwell , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Timothy C. Fox , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Montana, Helena, Montana; Jon Bruning , Attorney General, Office of The Attorney General of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska; E. Scott Pruitt , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Alan Wilson , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; Marty J. Jackley , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of South Dakota, Pierre, South Dakota; Sean Reyes , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of the State of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; Peter K. Michael , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyoming, for Amici States of Indiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Stephen M. Crampton , Mary E. McAlister , Liberty Counsel, Lynchburg, Virginia, for Amicus WallBuilders, LLC., Mathew D. Staver , Anita L. Staver , Liberty Counsel, Orlando, Florida, for Amici Liberty Counsel and American College of Pediatricians. Frank D. Mylar , Mylar Law, P.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, for Amici Scholars of History and Related Disciplines and American Leadership Fund. Michael F. Smith , The Smith Appellate Law Firm, Washington, D.C., for Amici Robert P. George , Sherif Girgis , and Ryan T. Anderson. Gerard V. Bradley , Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana; Kevin T. Snider , Pacific Justice Institute, Oakland, California, for Amicus Paul McHugh. Anthony R. Picarello, Jr. , U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.; R. Shawn Gunnarson , Kirton McConkie, Salt Lake City, Utah, for Amici United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Eric Rassbach , Asma Uddin , The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C., for Amicus The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Lawrence J. Joseph , Washington, D.C. for Amicus Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund. David Boyle , Long Beach, California, as Amicus. David Boyle , Long Beach, California, for Amicus Robert Oscar Lopez. Abbe David Lowell , Christopher D. Man , Chadbourne & Parke LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Outserve-SLDN and The American Military Partner Association. Geoffrey R. Stone , The University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois; Lori Alvino McGill , Latham & Watkins LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Constitutional Law Scholars Ashutosh Bhagwat, Lee Bollinger , Erwin Chemerinsky , Walter Dellinger , Michael C. Dorf , Lee Epstein , Daniel Farber , Barry Friedman , Michael J. Gerhard , Deborah Hellman , John C. Jeffries, Jr. , Lawrence Lessig , William Marshall , Frank Michelman , Jane S. Schacter , Christopher H. Schroeder , Suzanna Sherry , Geoffrey R. Stone , David Strauss , Laurence H. Tribe , and William Van Alstyne. Steven W. Fitschen , The National Legal Foundation, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Holly L. Carmichael , San Jose, California, for Amicus Concerned Women for America. Carmine D. Boccuzzi, Jr. , Mark A. Lightner , Andra Troy , Andrew P. Meiser , Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York, New York, for Amicus The American Sociological Association. L. Steven Emmert , Sykes, Bourdon, Ahem & Levy, P.C., Virginia Beach, Virginia, for Amicus Virginia Constitutional Law Professors. Nathalie F.P. Gilfoyle , American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.; Bruce V. Spiva , The Spiva Law Firm PLLC, Washington, D.C., for Amici American Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, and Virginia Psychological Association. Mark Kleinschmidt , Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, Chapel Hill , North Carolina ; Ryan T. Butler , Greensboro, North Carolina, for Amici Equality NC and South Carolina Equality Coalition. Rose A. Saxe , James D. Esseks , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, New York; Garrard R. Beeney , David A. Castleman , Catherine M. Bradley , W. Rudolph Kleysteuber , Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, New York, for Amici Marcie and Chantelle Fisher-Borne , Crystal Hendrix and Leigh Smith , Shana Carignan and Megan Parker , Terri Beck and Leslie Zanaglio , Lee Knight Caffery and Dana Draa , Shawn Long and Craig Johnson , and Esmeralda Mejia and Christina Ginter-Mejia. Elizabeth B. Wydra , Douglas T. Kendall , Judith E. Schaeffer , David H. Gans , Constitutional Accountability Center, Washington, D.C.; Ilya Shapiro , Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., for Amici Cato Institute and Constitutional Accountability Center. Daniel McNeel Lane, Jr. , Matthew E. Pepping , San Antonio, Texas, Jessica M. Weisel , Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Los Angeles, California, for Amici Historians of Marriage Peter W. Bardaglio , Norma Basch , Stephanie Coontz , Nancy F. Cott , Toby L. Ditz , Ariela R. Dubler , Laura F. Edwards , Sarah Barringer Gordon , Michael Grossberg , Hendrik Hartog , Ellen Herman , Martha Hodes , Linda K. Kerber , Alice Kessler-Harris , Elaine Tyler May , Serena Mayeri , Steve Mintz , Elizabeth Pleck , Carole Shammas , Mary L. Shanley , Amy Dru Stanley , and Barbara Welke. Jiyun Cameron Lee , Andrew J. Davis , Folger Levin LLP, San Francisco, California, for Amicus Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc. Rita F. Lin , Laura W. Weissbein , Sara Bartel , Morrison & Foerster LLP, San Francisco, California, for Amici Kerry Abrams , Albert Clark Tate, Jr. , Professor of Law University of Virginia School of Law, Vivian Hamilton , Professor of Law, William and Mary, Meredith Harbach , Professor of Law University of Richmond, Joan Heifetz Hollinger , John and Elizabeth Boalt Lecturer in Residence University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Courtney G. Joslin , Professor of Law University of California, Davis School of Law, and Forty-Four Other Family Law Professors.
Sherrilyn Ifill , Christina A. Swarns , Ria Tabacco Mar, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., New York, New York; Kim M. Keenan , NAACP, Baltimore, Maryland, for Amici NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Aderson Bellegarde Francois , Howard University School Of Law Civil Rights Clinic, Washington, D.C.; Brad W. Seiling , Benjamin G. Shatz , Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Los Angeles, California, for Amicus Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic. Alec W. Farr , Washington, D.C., Tracy M. Talbot , Katherine Keating , Bryan Cave LLP, San Francisco, California, for Amici Family Equality Council and COLAGE. Nicholas M. O'Donnell , Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, for Amicus GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality. Kathleen M. O'Sullivan , Mica D. Simpson, Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, Washington, for Amici William N. Eskridge, Jr. , Rebecca L. Brown , Daniel A. Farber , Michael Gerhardt , Jack Knight , Andrew Koppelman , Melissa Lamb Saunders , Neil S. Siegel , and Jana B. Singer. Catherine E. Stetson , Erica Knievel Songer , Mary Helen Wimberly , Katie D. Fairchild , Madeline H. Gitomer , Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Historians of Antigay Discrimination. Rocky C. Tsai , Samuel P. Bickett , Rebecca Harlow , Ropes & Gray LLP, San Francisco, California; Steven M. Freeman , Seth M. Marnin , Melissa Garlick , Anti-Defamation League, New York, New York, for Amici Anti-Defamation League, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Hindu American Foundation, The Interfaith Alliance Foundation, Japanese American Citizens League, Jewish Social Policy Action Network, Keshet, Metropolitan Community Churches, More Light Presbyterians, The National Council of Jewish Women, Nehirim, People For the American Way Foundation, Presbyterian Welcome, Reconcilingworks: Lutherans for Full Participation, Religious Institute, Inc., Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Society for Humanistic Judaism, T'Ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and Women's League For Conservative Judaism. Matthew P. McGuire , Beverlee E. Silva , Diane S. Wizig , Alston & Bird LLP, Durham, North Carolina; Suzanne B. Goldberg , Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic, Columbia Law School, New York, New York, for Amicus Columbia Law School Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic. Jeffrey S. Trachtman , Norman C. Simon , Jason M. Moff , Kurt M. Denk , Jessica N. Witte , Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, New York, New York, for Amici Bishops of the Episcopal Church in Virginia, The Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Mormons for Equality, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, Union for Reform Judaism, The Unitarian Universalist Association, Affirmation, Covenant Network of Presbyterians, Methodist Federation for Social Action, More Light Presbyterians, Presbyterian Welcome, Reconciling Ministries Network, Reconsilingworks: Lutherans For Full Participation, Religious Institute, Inc., and Women of Reform Judaism. Susan Baker Manning , Michael L. Whitlock , Margaret E. Sheer , Jared A. Craft , Sara M. Carian , Jessica C. Brooks , Katherine R. Moskop , John A. Polito , Stephanie Schuster , Bingham McCutchen LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amicus 28 Employers and Organizations Representing Employers. Martha Coakley , Attorney General, Jonathan B. Miller , Assistant Attorney General, Genevieve C. Nadeau , Assistant Attorney General, Michelle L. Leung , Assistant Attorney General, Frederick D. Augenstern , Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts; Kamala D. Harris , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of California, Sacramento, California; George Jepsen , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut; Irvin B. Nathan , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.; Lisa Madigan , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois; Tom Miller , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa; Janet T. Mills , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Maine, Augusta, Maine; Douglas F. Gansler , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland; Joseph A. Foster , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of New Hampshire, Concord, New Hampshire; Gary K. King , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Eric T. Schneiderman , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of New York, New York, New York; Ellen F. Rosenblum , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Oregon, Salem, Oregon; William H. Sorrell , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Vermont, Montpelier, Vermont; Robert W. Ferguson , Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Washington, Olympia, Washington, for Amici Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Brad W. Seiling, Benjamin G. Shatz, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Los Angeles, California, for Amicus Gary J. Gates. Bruce A. Wessel , Moez M. Kaba , C. Mitchell Hendy , Brian Eggleston , Irell & Manella LLP, Los Angeles, California, for Amicus National and Western States Women's Rights Organizations. Donald K. Butler , Batzli Stiles Butler, P.C., Richmond, Virginia; Susan M. Butler , Shounbach, P.C., Fairfax, Virginia; Daniel L. Gray , Stephanie J. Smith , Kristen L. Kugel , Anne B. Robinson , Cooper Ginsberg Gray, PLLC, Fairfax, Virginia, for Amicus Virginia Chapter of The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Marcia D. Greenberger , Emily J. Martin , Cortelyou C. Kenney , National Women's Law Center, Washington, D.C., for Amici The National Women's Law Center, Equal Rights Advocates, Legal Momentum, National Association of Women Lawyers, National Partnership for Women & Families, Southwest Women's Law Center, Women's Law Project, and Professors of Law Associated with The Williams Institute. Jerome C. Roth , Nicole S. Phillis , Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, San Francisco, California, for Amicus Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom. Shannon P. Minter , Christopher F. Stoll , Jaime Huling Delaye , National Center for Lesbian Rights, Washington, D.C., for Amici Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Public Interest Organizations, and Bar Associations. Joanna L. Grossman , Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, New York; Marjory A. Gentry , Arnold & Porter LLP, San Francisco, California, for Amicus Family Law and Conflict of Laws Professors. Mark C. Fleming , Felicia H. Ellsworth , Boston, Massachusetts, Paul R.Q. Wolfson , Dina B. Mishra , Leah M. Litman , Washington, D.C., Alan Schoenfeld, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, New York, New York, for Amicus Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders. John Humphrey , The Humphrey Law Firm, Alexandria, Virginia, for Amici People of Faith For Equality in Virginia (POFEV), Celebration Center for Spiritual Living, Clarendon Presbyterian Church, Commonwealth Baptist Church, Congregation or AMI, Hope United Church of Christ, Little River UCC, Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church, St. James UCC, St. John's UCC, New Life Metropolitan Community Church, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling, United Church of Christ of Fredericksburg, Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun, Rev. Marie Hulm Adam, Rev. Marty Anderson, Rev. Robin Anderson, Rev. Verne Arens, Rabbi Lia Bass, Rev. Joseph G. Beattie, Rev. Marc Boswell, Rev. Sue Browning, Rev. Jim Bundy, Rev. Mark Byrd, Rev. Steven C. Clunn, Rev. Dr. John Coperhaver, Rabbi Gary Creditor, Rev. David Ensign, Rev. Henry Fairman, Rabbi Jesse Gallop, Rev. Tom Gerstenlauer, Rev. Dr. Robin H. Gorsline, Rev. Trish Hall, Rev. Warren Hammonds, Rev. Jon Heaslet, Rev. Douglas Hodges, Rev. Phyllis Hubbell, Rev. Stephen G. Hyde, Rev. Janet James, Rev. John Manwell, Rev. James W. McNeal, Andrew Mertz, Rev. Andrew Clive Millard, Rev. Dr. Melanie Miller, Rev. Amber Neuroth, Rev. James Papile, Rev. Linda Olson Peebles, Rev. Don Prange, Rabbi Michael Ragozin, Rabbi Ben Romer, Rev. Jennifer Ryu, Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, Rabbi Amy Schwartzman, Rev. Danny Spears, Rev. Mark Suriano, Rev. Rob Vaughn, Rev. Daniel Velez-Rivera, Rev. Kate R. Walker, Rev. Terrye Williams, and Rev. Dr. Karen-Marie Yust.
Affirmed by published opinion. Judge FLOYD wrote the majority opinion, in which Judge GREGORY joined. Judge NIEMEYER wrote a separate dissenting opinion.
