Abby Rubenfeld

American civil rights attorney (born 1953)
Abby Rubenfeld
Born1953 (age 70–71)
Oneonta, New York
EducationPrinceton University (BA) Boston University (JD)
Occupation(s)Civil rights lawyer, adjunct professor
Children2
Parent
  • Milton Rubenfeld (father)
RelativesPaul Reubens (brother)

Abby Rubenfeld (born 1953) is an American civil rights attorney who practices in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

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, and has two daughters and a stepdaughter.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Klemesrud, Judy (1971-12-16). "Never Underestimate Power of a Woman, Even at Princeton". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rubenfeld Law firm website. Retrieved January 11, 2021
  3. ^ a b Barchenger, Stacey. "Abby Rubenfeld fought for equality decades before gay marriage win". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  4. ^ a b "Abby R. Rubenfeld". Vanderbilt Law School. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  5. ^ "Past Chairs". National Law Association. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  6. ^ "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.

External links

  • Vanderbilt University website Faculty page for Abby Rubenfeld
  • Abby R. Rubenfeld Law Firm