Federal Bar Council presents
LGBTQ Rights after Skrmetti, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. BPJ
June 18, 2026
5:30pm -7:00pm
(Timeframe subject to change)
Womble Bond Dickinson
888 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY
This presentation explores the evolving legal landscape shaping the scope of LGBTQ rights. We will begin our conversation with a call back to the 2020 landmark ruling, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, that protected gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals from employment discrimination. From Bostock, our focus will turn to recent decisions like United States v. Skrmetti, where the court upheld a Tennessee law prohibiting gender affirming care. In addition to Skrmetti, the panelists will examine the arguments advanced in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. Both cases focus on restrictions on transgender women and girls participating in female school sports and on girls’ athletic teams. The panelists will consider how these and other recent and pending decisions may shape future constitutional challenges (including under the First Amendment), educational policies, healthcare access, and the everyday lives of LGBTQ individuals across the country.
Moderator
The Honorable J. Paul Oetken
United States District Judge, SDNY
Panelists
Pamela D. Bass, Esq.
Thomas, Drohan, Waxman & Petigrow LLP
Ben Marcus, Esq.
Senior Constitutional Law Fellow, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
William Powell, Esq.
Senior Counsel, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown Law
Diversity Committee Co-Chairs
Melanie Speight, Esq.
Proskauer Rose LLP
Karine Louis, Esq.
Federal Bar Council Program Committee Co-Chairs
Celeste Koeleveld, Esq.
Clifford Chance US LLP
Julian S. Brod, Esq.
Shapiro Arato Bach LLP
In order to register, you must sign in to your Federal Bar Council account. If you do not have an account, you can create one using this link.
This program is free for Federal Bar Council Members and $75.00 for Non-Members. For more information about the benefits of membership in the Federal Bar Council, click here.
Financial Hardship Policy
The Federal Bar Council is pleased to offer a 50% discount on the cost of its CLE Programs to attorneys who are unemployed, who are employed in the public sector or who work for a not-for-profit entity and are able to establish financial hardship. The original application for this discount must be submitted to the Federal Bar Council at least two weeks prior to the CLE Program for which it applies. Please contact the Council for an application form. If you have any questions, please contact
CLE@federalbarcouncil.com.