Boalt Hall Lecturer in Residence Joan Heifetz Hollinger, assisted by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, filed an amicus brief in a case brought by the ACLU of Virginia on behalf of four children adopted by same-sex couples. In an April ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court decided that Virginia’s Department of Vital Records was inconsistent with Virginia state law in its refusal to issue new birth certificates for children adopted by same-sex couples.
In her brief, Hollinger, a leading scholar on adoption law and practice, argued that the interstate recognition of adoptions is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and state law. “This is an important victory for adopted children and adoptive families,” Hollinger said.