Connecting with the Courts

In June, the LGBT community comes together to celebrate Pride month. But June is also an incredibly important time for a different reason: it’s the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA.

On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA in the landmark case of United States v. Windsor, which limited for federal purposes the definition of "marriage" and "spouse" to only heterosexual unions. In the past year, we've seen lower federal courts cite Windsor in cases overturning bans on marriage equality across the nation. These are exciting times--and help amplify the importance of our judicial system. 

On Monday, June 23, One Iowa and the Iowa Fair Courts Coalition will host a FREE half-day conference addressing the issue of marriage equality in our courts, and so much more. 

Here's what you need to know:
Connecting with the Courts Conference
Monday, June 23, 2014
9:00 am - 1:30 pm (LUNCH INCLUDED!)
First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Avenue, Des Moines
CLICK HERE TO RSVP.

The Supreme Court hears about 80 cases per year. While these cases generally receive a great deal of attention,  it's important to remember that judges on the lower federal courts interpret most of our country’s laws. Just look at all the recent victories in favor of marriage equality across the country—and federal courts decided many of those cases!    

Many people don't understand that the decisions that come down from these federal courts impact our everyday lives. As Iowans, we already inherently recognize how essential the state courts are, as our very own Iowa Supreme Court paved the way for marriage equality with the unanimous Varnum v. Brien decision 5 years ago--resulting in the unfortunate ouster of three fair and competent justices. 

This is why it's so important that we invest ourselves in our courts system. With major pending cases like Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (affecting women's access to contraception and so much more), there's no time to waste.

We truly hope you'll join us for this engaging conference to discuss why the courts matter to you, and to learn more about our federal and state courts system. 

We hope to see you there! Click here to reserve your spot today.