Roberta Kaplan

Roberta Kaplan is a renowned American lawyer and Lambda Legal board member, known for her work in LGBT rights and United States constitutional law. She has argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including United States v. Windsor, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and paved the way for same-sex marriage in the United States. Kaplan's work has been recognized by organizations such as the American Bar Association and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She has also been involved with the New York City Bar Association and the Federal Bar Council.

● Early Life and Education

Roberta Kaplan was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She attended Hawken School and later enrolled in Columbia University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. Kaplan then went on to attend Columbia Law School, earning her Juris Doctor degree and serving as the Notes and Comments Editor of the Columbia Law Review. During her time at Columbia, she was influenced by the work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall, and she developed an interest in civil rights law and constitutional law, particularly in the context of Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia.

● Career

Kaplan began her career as a law clerk for Judge Morrell E. Sharp of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. She then worked as an associate at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where she focused on commercial litigation and appellate law, including cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the New York Court of Appeals. In 1999, Kaplan co-founded the law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP with Julie Fink, where she has represented clients such as Edith Windsor and Debbie Wasserman Schultz in cases involving employment law and First Amendment law, including New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Citizens United v. FEC.

● Notable Cases

Kaplan has argued several notable cases, including United States v. Windsor, which challenged the Defense of Marriage Act and was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2013. She has also worked on cases such as Hollingsworth v. Perry, which involved Proposition 8 and the California Supreme Court, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized the right to same-sex marriage nationwide, citing precedents such as Lawrence v. Texas and Romer v. Evans. Additionally, Kaplan has represented clients in cases involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, including Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson and Monell v. Department of Social Services of the City of New York.

● Personal Life

Kaplan is married to Rachel Lavine, a New York City Democratic Party leader, and they have a son together. She has been involved with several organizations, including the New York City LGBT Community Center and the Anti-Defamation League, and has worked with politicians such as Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand on issues related to LGBT rights and civil rights, including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

● Awards and Recognition

Kaplan has received numerous awards for her work, including the American Bar Association's Thurgood Marshall Award and the National Center for Lesbian Rights' Justice Award. She has also been recognized by organizations such as the New York City Bar Association and the Federal Bar Council, and has been named one of the most influential lawyers in the United States by The National Law Journal and Lawdragon. Kaplan has also received awards from Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign, and has been honored by universities such as Columbia University and New York University.

● Publications

Kaplan has written articles and book chapters on topics such as LGBT rights and constitutional law, including pieces published in the Columbia Law Review and the Harvard Law Review. She has also co-authored a book on United States v. Windsor with Edie Windsor, titled Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA, which discusses the Defense of Marriage Act and its impact on same-sex marriage in the United States. Additionally, Kaplan has written about the intersection of law and politics, including the role of the Supreme Court of the United States in shaping American law and society, citing cases such as Marbury v. Madison and Brown v. Board of Education. Category:American lawyers