Then Comes Marriage

“United States v. Windsor was a landmark ruling, and the case’s architect, Roberta Kaplan, emerged as a true American hero. Then Comes Marriage is a riveting account of a watershed moment in our history, and the strategy, ingenuity, and humanity that made it happen.” – President Bill Clinton “I thought I knew the Windsor case chapter-and-verse. As if! Then Comes Marriage will forever change the understanding of this landmark case-its genesis, its outside-the-box strategy, and its tactical brilliance. This is the can’t-put-down, emotional, funny, essential explanatory text that makes sense of Windsor, not just as law but as life.” – Rachel Maddow, television host “Roberta Kaplan makes questions of constitutionality and the intricacies of legal strategy read like a John Grisham thriller. Then Comes Marriage explains how we arrived at this surprising moment in history, but it’s also a testament to the persuasive, transformative power of a good story.” – Alison Bechdel, author of Dykes to Watch Out For and Fun Home “A fast-paced, engaging account… Kaplan breaks down the legal and procedural issues for nonlawyers and preserves suspense even where we know the outcome.” – Jeffrey S. Trachtman - Huffington Post “[A] scintillating read… [Kaplan and Dickey] weave a fascinating narrative that gives the reader an insight into one of the Supreme Court’s most provocative cases… This book deserves a place on everyone’s shelf.” – Joan M. Burda - New York Journal of Books “Along with detailing her legal strategy in the lower courts, Kaplan weaves her own coming-out story and her personal relationship into the story of her clients Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer…provid[ing] a revealing juxtaposition of how two very different generations of lesbians wrestled with the social attitudes of their times. It’s a timely, well-told story, brimming with observations about the importance of family… Kaplan’s rallying cry, ‘It’s all about Edie, stupid,’ keeps the stories of two remarkable women at the center of this historic legal and human drama.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred review “Compelling… Kaplan deftly uses [Thea Spyer and Edie Windsor’s] story as a lens through which to consider a broader set of inequities, less about marriage than common human decency… [A] deeply moving book.” – David Ulin - Los Angeles Times “This book tells all. Two great love stories (Robbie and Rachel, Thea and Edie), the trial, and all the internal struggles. It was so interesting and well-written that I could not stop reading it.” – Robin Tyler - The Advocate “[A] page-turning, powerful new book.” – Michelangelo Signorile

Roberta Kaplan is a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Since winning United States v. Windsor, she litigated the case against the gay marriage ban in Mississippi and filed “The People’s Brief” in the Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges. She lives in New York City with her wife and son.