Dana-Farber Cancer Institute signs same-sex marriage amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court Case

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has signed on to an amicus curiae brief filed by Morgan Lewis in the United States Supreme Court. Dana-Farber is one of 379 employers and employer organizations urging the High Court to consider the burdens imposed on both employers and employees by a fractured legal landscape with no uniform rule on same-sex marriage. The amicus curiae brief was filed in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, and urges the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a uniform principle that all couples share in the right to marry.

The brief argues that the existing, confused legal landscape places significant burdens on employers and their employees — making it increasingly hard to conduct business. In addition to Dana-Farber other amici range from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies, and are evenly distributed across many of the country’s most important industries, including technology, finance, sports, healthcare, and retail.

Richard Boskey, Senior Vice President, General Counsel for Dana-Farber said, "We have joined a broad and diverse group on the Amici because we all agree on the same principal — that all couples share in the right to marry. We are proud to join this important initiative that will lead to a single uniform law for same sex marriage."

Dana-Farber as well as other employers across the nation shares a desire to attract and retain a talented workforce. As the brief points out, today most Americans live in jurisdictions where same-sex marriages are recognized. However, the laws of many states continue to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying, and decline to recognize the valid, existing marriages of citizens married to a spouse of the same sex, making it difficult for businesses to thrive. In coordination with our fellow signatories, Dana-Farber presents empirical evidence showing the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the detrimental effect of the absence of a single, uniform law in this area.