Pride Month: a time of celebration, joy, reflection and advocacy. As this year’s Pride Month comes to a close, we take a few moments to consider recent victories, challenges and advocacy the firm has undertaken for the LGBTQ+ community. Our attorneys, including those in the Family Law Practice, are among those using their voices to help individuals, couples and families protect their legal rights. This work continues a tradition of legal work, volunteerism and support for the individuals and organizations challenging laws and policies disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
One legal issue that has been lacking definition is the question of parentage, and whether intent to be a parent would be sufficient to establish legal grounds for parental rights. For those couples using assisted reproduction technology (ART), parentage has been especially fraught since there is little legislation or case precedent determining who can be considered a parent. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued a ruling in Glover v. Junior adopting the doctrine of “intent-based parentage” as the uniform legal standard for establishing parentage for people who do not share a biological tie with their children. The decision is a victory for LGBTQ+ families who have long advocated for the same rights and protections as those who conceive naturally.
Family law shareholder Helen Casale and litigation associate Kyle Victor represented the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in friend-of-the-court filings on behalf of Nicole Junior, a non-biological mother who petitioned for pre-birth establishment of parentage for a child she conceived with her now-separated wife, Chanel Glover, via in vitro fertilization. The dispute weaved its way through the Pennsylvania judiciary, with a trial court initially granting Junior’s petition, followed by an appellate panel reversing the decision and the Superior Court reversing the panel’s decision. In March 2025, after two years of litigation, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court weighed in and ruled in Junior’s favor, issuing a ruling that will set precedent for other couples and families in the years to come. Our involvement in important matters is not unique; previously, the firm helped litigate Whitewood v. Wolf, the case that overturned the Pennsylvania Defense of Marriage Act and legalized same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania. Mark Aronchick and Helen Casale worked hand-in-hand with the ACLU to challenge the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, arguing that the court should use a high level of scrutiny to evaluate the discriminatory treatment because Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act burdened the fundamental right to marry and because it discriminated based on sexual orientation and gender.
Along with landmark litigation, attorneys dedicate their time to guiding LGBTQ+ clients through the legal process needed for family building via assisted reproduction and various forms of adoption. Shareholder Rebecca Nayak helps families understand and navigate the legal frameworks they need, and regularly appears on podcasts and on panels exploring family-building options, estate planning tools, and evolving parentage laws. She also testified before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in support of the PA Uniform Parentage Act (HB350) The proposed legislation aims to help ensure children’s relationships are protected under the law, regardless of the circumstances or manner of their birth. Becca’s dedication garnered a recognition as an “Outstanding Voice” in Philadelphia Business Journal’s Business of Pride section.
Likewise, Helen Casale continues her career-long dedication to the LGBTQ+ community, regularly taking on complicated cases in domestic relations law involving divorce, child support, custody, spousal support, asset protection, complex property division, date of separation issues, and protection from abuse matters. As chair of the PBA Family Law Section, she helped the section produce a resource video to help parents improve their co-parenting relationships. The Pennsylvania Bar Association recognized Helen’s contributions with the 2025 David M. Rosenblum LGTBQ+ Public Policy Award, an award won by shareholder Jerry Shoemaker in 2022. Jerry’s contributions include serving as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s LGBTQ+ Rights Committee from 2015-2021; leading the action to change the name to the LGBTQ+ Rights Committee to be more inclusive; and helping to create the Transgender Name Change Task Force.
Whether it is through legal work with members of the LGTBQ+ individuals and others, volunteerism, or support for community organizations, we are proud to use our voices to uplift all.
