The LGBT Family Law Institute® (“FLI”), a joint venture of the LGBTQ+ Bar and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, is a year-round membership group which allows experienced LGBTQ+ family law practitioners to share collective wisdom and to discuss cutting-edge legal strategies for representing members of the LGBTQ+ community on such matters as family creation, assisted reproductive technology, ethics, interstate and international parentage issues, estate planning, collaborative law, transgender issues, dissolution of relationships, and elder law. The annual meeting of FLI is held on the Friday of the Lavender Law® Conference each year and is open only to dues-paying members of FLI and the LGBTQ+ Bar. Annual meeting sessions are not formal lectures, but rather are structured to encourage participation from everyone in attendance. Further, the annual meeting gives participants an opportunity to network with lawyers from other states in order to build a cadre of family law practitioners throughout the country. To create an environment that encourages the free flow of information, registration is limited to 125 FLI members. The meeting will be closed and the proceedings will not be recorded.
The LGBT Family Law Institute® annual meeting is restricted to FLI members only and is not open to law students. Experienced family law practitioners wishing to join FLI and attend the annual meeting must submit an application, undergo an interview, and join both FLI and the LGBTQ+ Bar as dues-paying members before being approved to attend the meeting. Click here to see more details about the FLI application process.
2022 Program and Schedule: IN PERSON
Friday, July 29, 2022 starting at 8:30am PT
Please note that the schedule below is listed in Pacific Time.
CLE credit will not be offered during this Institute.
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 8:30am-9:00am | Welcome/Intros/Icebreaker |
| 9:00am-10:30am | Breakout Sessions Marriage and Money: Pre- and post-nups and other estate planning. This discussion will cover advising clients on when to choose pre- and post-nups and other estate planning for spouses. Moderator: Jennifer Millner Families with multiple parents, non-legal parents, and multiple partners. This discussion will provide a space to discuss legal avenues and strategies for protecting parent-child relationships in families with multiple parents, relationship recognition for polyamorous families, and protections for parents who cannot be legally recognized as a parent under the law of their state. This is also a space to discuss co-parenting not in platonic relationships. Moderators: Stacey McLarty, Alana Chazan |
| 10:30am-10:45am | Break |
| 10:45am-12:15pm | Breakout Sessions Financial issues in family and estate law. This discussion will cover the intersection financial issues and the legal recognition of LGBTQ families, including taxes, insurance, and inheritance of IRAs. Moderator: David Brown Dobbs, surrogacy, ART, and reproductive healthcare. This discussion will cover the potential impact of a decision overturning Roe v. Wade on ART, surrogacy, and other reproductive healthcare. Moderators: Amira Hasenbush, Anabel Martinez |
| 12:20pm-12:30pm | Wrap Up and Closing |
| 12:30pm-1:30pm | Joint Luncheon with Trusts & Estates Institute Hotel Restaurant |
2022 Program and Schedule: ZOOM
Friday, August 12, 2022 starting at 12:00pm ET
Please note that the schedule below is listed in Eastern Time.
CLE credit will not be offered during this Institute.
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 12:00pm-12:30pm | Welcome/Intros/Icebreaker |
| 12:30pm-1:45pm | Breakout Sessions Attacks on the rights of transgender children. This is a space to discuss the recent and increasing bills targeting transgender children, as well as directives and other actions treating parental support of gender affirming care as child endangerment. This is also a space to discuss custody disputes involving trans kids and educating judges about the needs of transgender children. Moderators: Asaf Orr, Heather Fann Running an LGBTQ law business in these shifting times. This is a space to discuss challenges and strategies for small and solo law firms with LGBTQ family and estate planning practices. Moderator: Deian McBryde |
| 1:45pm-2:00pm | Break |
| 2:00pm-3:15pm | Red state/Blue State Breakout Sessions These will be moderated discussions about current issues that members are facing. Please choose which one feels right for the general climate you are working in. Topic One: Creative Litigation and Advocacy in Blue and Red States for Family Law practitioners, including a discussion on the current legal developments (case law, statutory law, etc.--this is in your discretion, but the real point is to get the FLI attendees talking and sharing ideas) and creative strategies to protect our families, our relationships and our children. Red State Moderators: TBA (Zoom Breakout 1) Blue State Facilitators: TBA (Zoom Breakout 2) Topic Two: Creative Litigation and Advocacy in Blue and Red States for Probate and Estate Planning practitioners including a discussion on the current legal developments (case law, statutory law, etc.--this is in your discretion, the real point is to get folks talking and sharing ideas) and creative strategies to protect our families, our relationships and our children in life and in death. Red State Moderators: TBA (Zoom Breakout 3) Blue State Facilitators: TBA (Zoom Breakout 4) |
| 3:15pm-3:40pm | Red State/Blue State Regroup |
| 3:40pm-4:00pm | Wrap Up and Closing |