WSLL Recommends: Sexual Orientation and the Law

In response to ongoing changes in the law, the 2012 edition of Sexual Orientation and the Law (Thompson/West) includes significant updates. This two volume treatise contains contributions from practitioners throughout the United States and includes a number of sample forms and briefs. The focus is primarily on the legal concerns of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transsexuals, as well as others who live outside societal "norms" regarding gender or sexuality. However, it also includes information for individuals with HIV or AIDS.

Information for attorneys representing same-sex couples can be found in chapters on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and tax planning. A chapter on death, incapacity, and illness covers topics like cohabitation agreements, living wills, provisions for children, health care, life insurance, and more. Advances in reproductive technology are reflected in an updated chapter on raising children and the new family law, which includes new analysis on the parentage, surrogacy, and custody of children.

Civil rights, discrimination, juvenile and criminal justice, and the military and veterans are also covered. A chapter covering state initiatives discusses different types of legislative initiatives and challenges.

The treatise includes a comprehensive index and an updated tables of laws, rules, and cases. This includes a table of Wisconsin laws related to sexual orientation, correlated to the relevant sections from the book. Sexual Orientation and the Law is available for checkout from the Wisconsin State Law Law Library.