A federal judge in Virginia has struck down a cornerstone of President Obama’s healthcare reform law as unconstitutional. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ruled the government cannot force Americans to purchase mandatory health insurance or face penalties. It was the first time a court has ruled against any piece of the healthcare law since it was adopted earlier this year. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the state of Virginia, one of two dozen challenging the law in federal courts nationwide. But it is expected to have little impact because it does not impose an injunction freezing the law’s implementation. Two other courts have also issued rulings favorable to the law in similar cases. The debate over the law is expected to end up before the Supreme Court. The judge in the Virginia case, Judge Hudson, is the part-owner of Campaign Solutions, a Republican consulting firm that has worked to oppose healthcare reform. The firm’s clients have included Sarah Palin and John McCain. Federal disclosures show Hudson has earned up to $108,000 in dividends from his holdings in the firm since 2003.