Abby Rubenfeld (born 1953) is an American civil rights attorney who practices in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]
Abby Rubenfeld | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 (age 70–71) |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) Boston University (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Civil rights lawyer, adjunct professor |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Milton Rubenfeld |
| Relatives | Paul Reubens (brother) |
Rubenfeld received an A.B. with honors from Princeton University, where she was class president, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1979, where she helped create the Boston University Law Association.[1][2] She was admitted to practice law in 1979.[2]
She challenged Tennessee's "Homosexual Practices Acts" law, which criminalized sodomy. The sodomy law was overturned in 1996.[3] In 2013, she organized a group of attorneys and plaintiffs to challenge Tennessee's ban on same-sex marriage. She filed the lawsuit that led to Tennessee's inclusion in the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage nationwide.[3]
She was an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School and chair of the Individual Rights and Responsibilities section of the American Bar Association.[2][4][5][6] She has served as a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the Human Rights Campaign.[2] She was an attorney and Legal Director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.[4]
Rubenfeld is the daughter of Milton Rubenfeld and the sister of actor Paul Reubens. She is married to Helia Rethmann, and has two daughters and a stepdaughter.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Klemesrud, Judy (1971-12-16). "Never Underestimate Power of a Woman, Even at Princeton". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ a b c d e Rubenfeld Law firm website. Retrieved January 11, 2021
- ^ a b Barchenger, Stacey. "Abby Rubenfeld fought for equality decades before gay marriage win". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
- ^ a b "Abby R. Rubenfeld". Vanderbilt Law School. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ "Past Chairs". National Law Association. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ^ "A Brief History of the American Bar Association". American Bar Association. 1999-08-05. Archived from the original on 2005-03-30. Retrieved 2008-10-17.