LGBT Bar NY Podcast

Immigration and Asylum with a Side of Wedding Cake.

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the February edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

• 5th Circuit Panels Deny Refugee Relief to Latin American Petitioners
• Oregon Appeals Court Gives Sweetcakes by Melissa Another Chance to Avoid Paying Damages for Violating State Anti-Discrimination Law

• Damages Cases Involving Sexual Assault of Prisoners by Guards Highlight Difficulties Obtaining Justice for Inmate Victims

Justice Breyer And The SCOTUS Shortlist

This week we were surprised with news that Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, plans to retire after the current term ends in June.

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Northeastern Law School Professor Ari Ezra Waldman discuss Justice Breyer’s impact of the law and his LGBTQ rights legacy.

President Biden confirmed his intent to honor his campaign commitment to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Eric and Ari chat about some of the names that are being floated as possible replacements.

Prof. Ari Ezra Waldman is a professor of law and computer science at Northeastern University. He directs the School of Law's Center for Law, Information and Creativity (CLIC).  He is also the founder of @Legally_Queer, a social media project that educates the public about the history, present and future of LGBTQ freedom.

LGBTQ Rights in Schools

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the January edition of LGBT Law Notes. The thread connecting the three cases is that they are all school cases involving queer students and access to equal opportunities.

• U.S. District Court Orders Indiana High School to Provide Equal Privileges to Gay-Straight Student Alliance
• Federal District Court Refuses to Dismiss Challenge to West Virginia Law Banning Trans Girls from Scholastic Athletic Competition
• U.S. District Court Rules Against Maryland School Choice Program’s Antidiscrimination Policy on Free Speech Grounds

Holiday Law Notes Episode

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the December edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

• Texas Federal Judge Shields Church Employers and Non-Church Employers with Religious Objections From Title VII Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination Claims
• Indiana Appeals Court Revives Discharged Gay Teacher’s Tort Suit Against Archdiocese of Indianapolis
• California Court of Appeal Affirms Order for Gender Affirming Treatment for a “Dependent Child of the Court” Over Mother’s Protest

 

Law Notes Episode: International Intrigue and More

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the November edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

• Biden Administration Drops Trump Administration’s Appeals of Lambda Legal’s Social Security Benefits Victories for Surviving Partners/Spouses
• European Court of Human Rights Finds Polish Courts Violated Lesbian Mother’s Convention Rights in Custody Ruling
• 11^th Circuit Affirms Dismissal on Pleadings of Transgender Inmate’s Rape Claims, Refusing to Consider Absence of Risk Screening Required by Prison Rape Elimination Act

Non-Binary Actor Files Discrimination Complaint Against HAMILTON

On this episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast, Eric Lesh speaks with Lindsay Goldbrum, an Associate at Wigdor LLP, about what its like to be a plaintiff-side lawyer in LGBT employment discrimination cases. This episode focuses largely on the federal workplace complaint Lindsay and her firm filed on behalf of Suni Reid, a former cast member of Hamilton the musical, who identifies as non-binary. In the complaint Suni alleges “frequent incidents of discrimination and harassment” and ultimately retaliation as a result of their gender neutral dressing room request.

UK Court Overturns Puberty Blockers Ruling for Trans Youth & More

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the October edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

• 10^th Circuit Panel Orders Discharged Transgender Professor Reinstated with Tenure
• UK Court of Appeal Confirms that Children under 18 Can Consent to Take Puberty Blockers

• Failure to Protect Florida Gay Inmate from Bashing in Prison with “Homophobic Culture” Is “Certainly Concerning,” but Raises No Jury Questions under Eighth or Fourteenth Amendments

Law Notes Episode: Healthcare Access, Jury Service and More

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the September edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

1. Court Bars Federal Government from Enforcing Affordable Care Act’s Sex Discrimination Ban Against Some Christian Health Care Providers

2. Texas Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Murderer of Transgender Individual

3. Massachusetts High Court Recognizes that Constitutional Protections from Jury Discrimination Apply to Sexual Orientation

Religious Discrimination in Schools, Hospitals, and More

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the August edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

Read Law Notes here. 

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• En Banc 7^th Circuit Categorically Exempts Religious Organizations from Hostile Work Environment Claims Brought by a Gay “Ministerial Employee”

• California Appeals Court Strikes Misgendering Provision from Patient Bill of Rights

• Maryland Federal Court Refuses to Dismiss ACA Suit Against University Hospital for Cancelling Transgender Plaintiff’s Hysterectomy on Religious Grounds

Blockbuster June SCOTUS Summary

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the July edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

• Supreme Court decides Fulton v Philadelphia and dismisses two other important LGBTQ rights cases;
• Iowa Supreme Court Reverses Gay Workers’ Compensation Commissioner’s Jury Verdict and $1.5 Million Damage Award;

• 6^th Circuit Rejects Transgender Detroit Employee’s Hostile Environment Complaint