By Dan Wing

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Supreme Court has taken steps towards what could be the most significant Civil Rights decision in decades. The court will take up California’s ban on same-sex unions and a separate dispute over whether gay couples are entitled to the same benefits as other couples.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Professor Seth Kreimer says the issues boils down to two questions: One, in states that have recognized marriage equality, can the federal government refuse to accept that decision?

The other question is “Whether or not marriage-equality will require states to recognize marriages that they haven’t decided to do on their own.”

While Kreimer doesn’t expect the issue to be completely resolved, he says we should see action rather soon.

“We’ll probably hear the case in March of next year, and if past experience is any indication, we’ll probably have an answer in June.”