Paul Clement, the attorney hired by the U.S. House to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, has resigned his position at King & Spalding after the law firm decided not to defend the case, according to Politico.com, a website covering politics and other news.
Politico writer Josh Gerstein shares part of Clement's resignation letter:
"I resign out of the firmly held belief that a representation should not be abandoned because the client's legal position is extremely unpopular in certain quarters. Defending unpopular clients is what lawyers do ... I recognized from the outset that this statute implicate very sensitive issues that prompt strong views on both sides. But having undertaken the representation, I believe there is no honorable court for me but to complete it," writes Clement.
According to Gerstein, Clement will join Bancroft PLLC, a small legal firm based in Washington D.C. and will continue to represent the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives voted to hire attorneys to defend DOMA, the federal ban on gay marriage, against pending legal challenges after President Obama’s administration announced it would no longer defend the law.
More information to follow as it becomes available.