Braschi v. Stahl Associates Co. was a 1989 New York Court of Appeals case that decided that the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship counted as "family" under New York law and was thus able to continue living in a rent controlled apartment belonging to the deceased partner.

[1] The litigant, Miguel Braschi, had been in a long-term relationship and lived with his partner Leslie Blanchard, who rented an apartment on East 54th Street in Manhattan.

Application of this standard allowed Braschi to be considered a family member and prevented his eviction from the apartment.

[4] The decision was the first time a court in the United States granted any kind of legal recognition to a same-sex couple.

Ball, in his legal history text, From the Closet to the Courtroom, devoted an entire chapter to the Baschi case, highlighting its importance for several reasons: