This year's lecture will feature Kate Kendell. Kate Kendell is the Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. NCLR was counsel for the Plaintiffs in Tanco v. Haslam, one of the same-sex marriage cases recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. NCLR was also counsel for the plaintiffs in the litigation challenging California's same-sex marriage ban and for plaintiffs challenging similar bans in Alabama, Idaho, Florida, New Mexico, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Kate will discuss, "Winning Marriage and the Road Ahead for the LGBT Community." Few expected same-sex couples would win the Freedom to Marry so soon. How did this happen? What were the legal and cultural milestones that made this landmark ruling possible? In the wake of the ruling what issues remain to be tackled on behalf of LGBT individuals and families and what challenges will the community face as future issues are addressed and opposition responds? The Bill Smith Memorial Lecture honors the memory of Bill Smith ('98) who passed away 13 years ago. During Bill's short time with us, he dedicated himself to disability and LGBT rights activism. The Lecture is our way of honoring his memory, both by highlighting a powerful voice in the disability or LGBT rights arena and by awarding a small summer grant to a 1L or 2L law student doing nonprofit legal work in either of those areas.