Link (http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/116771628623900.xml&coll=1)
Although a law signed Dec. 21 by Gov. Jon Corzine promises same-sex couples who form civil unions "all of the same benefits, protections and responsibilities" that flow from marriage, it comes with a giant asterisk.
It really means all of the state benefits of marriage. Like Massachusetts, New Jersey is powerless to grant same-sex couples the benefits that federal law bestows on married heterosexuals. And federal law does not recognize same-sex partnerships, regardless of whether they are labeled "marriages" or "civil unions."
"There are a plethora of federal rights that are significant that remain denied," said Elizabeth Cooper, a professor at Fordham Law School.