The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a conservative organization fighting against the legalization of same-sex marriage, said Monday it would launch an “investigation” into the decision of the law firm King & Spalding to drop its defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
“We will convene a panel of legal experts and ethicists to determine if any rules of professional conduct have been violated, or if the firm has acted illegally in reaching their decision,” NOM President Brian Brown said in a statement posted on their website. “We already know they have violated the moral imperative of acting in good faith and fair dealing. If our review concludes that the firm has violated any statutes or rules of professional conduct, we will initiate the appropriate disciplinary complaints.”
Brown also praised Paul Clement for leaving the law firm after King & Spalding dropped the DOMA case because, according to law firm chairman Chairman Robert D. Hays, Jr., “the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate.”
“In contrast to the principled stand by Paul Clement, King & Spalding, through their Chairman Robert Hays, has demonstrated a shocking lack of professional ethics and shown cowardice under fire,” Brown said. “This law firm has shown itself to be without principle.”
Brown also distributed a phone number and email address for Hays and encouraged supporters to “contact Hays to express their outrage over the firm’s decision.”
