i'm not surprised that king & spalding did not want to be associated with the effort to defend DOMA. check out the home page on the firm's web site:
they even have a special page noting their particular commitment to LGBT diversity which says:
i'm not mentioning any of this to say anything bad about the firm. on the contrary, i approve of all of those things. this is yet another indication of how anti-gay forces are slowly and steadily losing the culture war. it wasn't that long ago that a respectable corporate law firm wouldn't touch a gay issue with a ten foot pole. the fact that one of the top 20 firms in the u.s. "preferred by corporate general counsel to represent their companies on national matters." doesn't just mention it's commitment to LGBT equality but seems to use it as a selling point, shows what a hard road proponents of DOMA have ahead of them.
king & spalding's stance isn't even that unusual anymore. in fact, the firm is still thought of as a respectable corporate firm, and not as some radical firm with a "gay agenda." which is why it probably never occurred to john boehner that the firm would balk at the case when he hired them.
King & Spalding is committed to having the brightest and most diverse lawyers it can find, including members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. We work hard to foster and maintain an environment where our lawyers can provide the highest level of legal service while being true to themselves in the process. The firm's non-discrimination policy prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Further, domestic partner benefits are offered for same-sex couples.the page goes on to brag about their high score on the human rights campaign corporate equality index and notes the firm's support for the ACLU's LGBT and AIDS projects, the lambda legal's civil rights celebration, the stonewall bar association and that the firm is a sponsor of atlanta's gay film festival.
i'm not mentioning any of this to say anything bad about the firm. on the contrary, i approve of all of those things. this is yet another indication of how anti-gay forces are slowly and steadily losing the culture war. it wasn't that long ago that a respectable corporate law firm wouldn't touch a gay issue with a ten foot pole. the fact that one of the top 20 firms in the u.s. "preferred by corporate general counsel to represent their companies on national matters." doesn't just mention it's commitment to LGBT equality but seems to use it as a selling point, shows what a hard road proponents of DOMA have ahead of them.
king & spalding's stance isn't even that unusual anymore. in fact, the firm is still thought of as a respectable corporate firm, and not as some radical firm with a "gay agenda." which is why it probably never occurred to john boehner that the firm would balk at the case when he hired them.
