ABSTRACT
The law has long acknowledged that the family is the fundamental unit of society. In the United States the family unit has been the subject of legal regulation and protection, and the existence of family relationships is relevant to many different areas of law, including constitutional law, immigration, taxation, tort law, contract law, and inheritance and property law. Traditionally, protection of the family unit has been the province of state governments, and states have normally exercised primary jurisdiction over laws regulating the family, such as those involving marriage, divorce, and child custody and support. In the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, Congress mandated that all eligible employees are entitled to up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave per year to receive medical care or to care for family members who have undergone medical treatment or for the birth or adoption of a child.
