Read this Washington Post story about former Solicitor General Paul Clement. His firm, King and Spalding, was tasked (read: hired) to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. When his firm pulled the rug out from underneath him, Clement resigned.
Clement resigned his high paying job “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.”
He continued: “Much has been said about being on the right side of history. But being on the right or wrong side of history on the merits is a question for the clients. When it comes to the lawyers, the surest way to be on the wrong side of history is to abandon a client in the face of hostile criticism.”
Clement is a brilliant appellate attorney. He is apparently also a man of extraordinary principles.
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