Gay Justice } Vt. Supreme Court's Newest Member to be Sworn in
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Vermont's newest Supreme Court justice is to take the oath of office this week.
Gov. Peter Shumlin plans to administer the oath to lawyer and long-time gay rights advocate Beth Robinson in a ceremony at the Supreme Court on Monday.
Shumlin last month nominated the 46-year-old Robinson to the seat on the five-member court being vacated by the retiring Associate Justice Denise Johnson.
Robinson was on the legal team that represented three same-sex couples at the center of the landmark state Supreme Court decision in 1999 that led to passage of Vermont's ground-breaking civil unions law.
She headed up Vermont Freedom to Marry, which won passage of full marriage for same-sex couples in 2009.
Most recently Robinson had served since January as Shumlin's general counsel.
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