Iowa Law Professor to Explain Varnum Case

University of Iowa law professor Todd Pettys will speak on the topic, “Explaining Varnum: the Case that Legalized Same Sex Marriage in Iowa,” on July 7 in the first of a four-part forum on “Justice and the Common Good.” The series, organized by Faith in Iowa, will explore the political, legal and religious ramifications of the 2010 ouster of three Iowa Supreme Court justices. The lectures will take place at 7 p.m. each Thursday in July at Christ Episcopal Church, 220 40th Street NE in Cedar Rapids. All are free and open to the public.

The forum sponsor, Faith in Iowa, is an interfaith coalition whose purpose is to promote judicial independence and religious freedom in Iowa.

Varnum refers to the famous Varnum v. Brien case of April 2009, in which seven Iowa Supreme Court justices voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Pettys will discuss the Iowa Supreme Court's core arguments in Varnum. In Varnum, the Court set out to make arguments that were legal, rather than political, in nature. He will explain the difference between the legal and political arguments, examine the larger legal context in which the Varnum Court's legal arguments were developed, and then briefly describe the details of the arguments themselves. This will enable those in attendance to be better equipped to assess Varnum's legal strengths, wholly apart from whatever they might think about same-sex marriage as a political matter.

Pettys has been a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law since 1999 and is Associate Dean for Faculty. He teaches classes in constitutional law, federal courts, evidence, and the Supreme Court.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For more information, contact:

June 28, 2011 Charles Crawley at 319-899-8716 or at faithiniowa@gmail.com