BLSLawNotesThe Magazine of Brooklyn Law School | Spring 2010 BLS LawNotes Spring 2010 THE MAKING OF A LAWYER A Conversation with Six Graduating Students BLSLawNotes Vol. 15, No. 1 Editor in Chief Graphic Design Linda S. Harvey Ron Hester Assistant Dean for External Affairs Photographers Managing Editor Damion Edwards Andrea Strong ’94 Ron Hester Alan Perlman Contributors Joe Vericker Andrea Strong ’94 Rachel Rehwinkel ’07 Printer Diana Barnes-Brown Finlay Printing Ivy Miller Josefina Colomar ’10 BLS LawNotes is published An Duong ’12 semi-annually by Valery Federici ’10 Brooklyn Law School Daniel J. Goodstadt ’10 for alumni, students, Carla Sanderson ’10 faculty and friends. Judith N. Soto ’11 Stephanie Staal ’10 Letters and Comments We welcome letters and comments ClassNotes Editor about articles in BLS LawNotes from Caitlin Monck-Marcellino ’02 our graduates and friends. We will Director of Alumni Relations consider reprinting brief submissions in LawNotes and on our Web site. Photo Editor Matilda Garrido mailing address: Managing Editor BLS LawNotes 250 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, New York 11201 fax: 718-625-5242 e-mail:
[email protected] web: www.brooklaw.edu on the cover, clockwise from top: Paul Molina, James Hays II, Sparkle Alexander, Shannon Sneed, Gloria Yi, and Michael Pope. photo by ron hester. Contents FEATURES Equal Access and the Right to Marry by Professors Nelson Tebbe and Deborah A. Widiss 21 Although the subject of same-sex marriage has been a topic of national debate for several years, most state court challenges have been decided on the basis of due process or equal protection, two theories with fatal weaknesses.