The U.S. Supreme Court decided Friday (Dec. 7) to hear an appeal from defenders of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California and was later declared unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. It also decided to review the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The cases will be argued early in 2013, with rulings expected by the end of June.

Several UC campuses have made available faculty experts on same-sex marriage and related issues.