UC Law conference to address policy, healthcare issues facing the LGBTQ+ community

The Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, is hosting a day of panel discussions and conversation addressing important issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. All are invited to join us for “LGBTQ Plus the Law (Policy, Healthcare and Family Law)”.  This event, the 2024 Morelli Colloquium, will be held 8:30 am - 2:30 pm on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Room 170A of the College of Law. This event is free and open to the public.

CLE: 4.5 hours of CLE have been approved for Kentucky; approval is pending in Ohio.

Registration is required for CLE credits and to receive the lunch option.

This event is made possible through the Bill Morelli Endowment Fund for the Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the College of Law.

Panel One: "This is Where We Are" delves into the landscape of LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio, contextualizing them within national trends and recent judicial decisions. Expert panelists will offer insights into the current legal framework and its implications for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Panel Two: "Healthcare Access" explores the challenges surrounding gender-affirming care, including common restrictions and their disproportionate impact on transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. The discussion will highlight the need for inclusive healthcare policies and address carve outs for cisgender and intersex individuals.

Panel Three: "Expanding the Family" examines the intersection of family law and LGBTQ+ rights, focusing on issues such as parentage, adoption, custody, and social services. Panelists will analyze how existing legal frameworks affect LGBTQ+ families and explore avenues for progress and inclusivity.

Panel One:

Jack Harrison is the David and Nancy Wolf Chair in Ethics and Professional Identity, Professor of Law, and Director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy at Northern Kentucky Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

Carson Hartlage, a TransOhio board member, has been involved in LGBTQ+ and trans advocacy at the institutional, local, state, and national levels with a particular focus on health policy and education.

Sean McCann, a policy strategist at the ACLU of Ohio, is dedicated to advancing equal justice for all. With a background in legislative affairs, McCann collaborates across departments, with coalition partners, and elected officials to advance the ACLU's policy agenda, focusing on death penalty abolition and LGBTQ+ rights advocacy, issues close to his heart.

Panel Two:

Ryan Thoreson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Prior to joining the faculty, he was a researcher in the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch and a clinical lecturer in international human rights at Yale Law School.

Nick Zingarelli is Director and Chief Attorney of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center. The Help Center provides information and advice by appointment to unrepresented people with issues in the Hamilton County Municipal Court and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. Zingarelli was previously the founder of Zingarelli Law Office.

Maria Bruno, an attorney and community advocate, directs Equality Ohio’s legislative strategy and engagement for state, local, federal public policy. She has worked on a variety of public policy and civic engagement initiatives related to civil rights, economic justice, criminal justice, housing access, and voting. 

Panel Three:

Scott Knox, an attorney, practices in the areas of LGBTQ+ legal issues, estate planning and administration, and Social Security Disability/SSI benefits. He is currently on the boards of Strategies to End Homelessness, the Holocaust and Humanity Center, Equality Cincinnati PAC, Ohio Lesbian Archives, and the Hamilton County Democratic Party Executive Committee.

Nicole Kersting, an attorney, specializes in family law. She is particularly dedicated to LGBTQ+ related cases and second parent adoption.

Marc Spindelman, Isadore and Ida Topper Professor of Law at Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, is a distinguished legal scholar known for his expertise in constitutional law, family law, and critical theory/critical lawyering.   His scholarship delves into the intersections of law, society, and culture, particularly focusing on sexuality, reproduction, death, and love. Widely published in prestigious law reviews, his work addresses LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive justice, and critical theory.

Rachel Loftspring, an attorney, is a Partner at the Family Law and Fertility Law Group, specializing in family building through surrogacy, egg, sperm, and embryo donation. She also facilitates same-sex family protections via step-parent adoptions and parentage actions.

Lead photo: istockphoto.com