Gay rights organizations plan to protest King & Spalding, the firm that will defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court, this Tuesday.
Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:
In a statement released this weekend, the Human Rights Campaign said it will be joined by Georgia Equality and other groups at a Tuesday news conference one block from King & Spalding's headquarters in Midtown.
The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, said it wants to call attention to the law firm's "hypocrisy."
King & Spalding's website says the firm is committed to having the brightest and most diverse lawyers it can find, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It notes that the Human Rights Campaign gave the firm a 95 out of a 100 corporate equality index rating the past four years and that domestic partner benefits are offered for same-sex couples.
"Firms are rightly judged on the cases they voluntarily take on, and history will not be kind to [King & Spalding's] decision to defend institutionalized discrimination," the Human Rights Campaign statement said. "The effect of K&S’s efforts, if successful, would ensure that the federal government is able to continue denying recognition to same-sex couples which includes Social Security survivor benefits, health care for spouses of government employees or even the ability for spouses to be buried together in veteran’s cemeteries."
Lead attorney on the case, Paul Clement used to work as U.S. solicitor general for President George W. Bush and will reportedly be paid $520 an hour for his work.
The GA Voice has details on Tuesday's protest: HRC and Georgia Equality press conference: Tuesday, 11 a.m. Corner Park, located at 15 th and Peachtree Street, one-half block from the King & Spalding offices. King & Spalding is located at 1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309.
