During this week's same-sex marriage SCOTUS arguments, Justice Kennedy said 40,000 children in California live with same-sex parents. While we won't know the Court's decision for a while, we already know one group happy with that stat.
UCLA's Williams Institute, a think tank focused on LGBT legal issues, put out the stat cited by Kennedy. We learned this at Skadden over breakfast this week, where UCLA Law Dean Rachel Moran caught up with DC supporters.She's flanked by Skadden associateAlex Haskell and partner andformer SEC deputy directorBrian Breheny. The Williams Institute filed its own amicus briefs in both cases, and its research was cited in35 other briefs inProp 8 and23 in DOMA(onbothsides). Moran tells us they're interested in creating avisualization database using the Institute's research for customizable searches.
Attendees discussed whether Prop 8 and DOMA have more similarities with "separate but equal" cases likeBrown v Board of EdandPlessy v Fergusonor interracial marriage caseLoving v Virginia. Moran says making the issue about freedom may be helpful for same-sex marriage supporters: re-couching equality claims in liberty's clothes.Above, Hollingsworth insurance and pharma partner Donald McMinn with Akin Gump energy partner Chip Cannon.
Baker & McKenzie diversity director Floyd Mills, Paul Hastings environmental partner Tom Mounteer, and Gibson Dunn DC office founding partnerJohn Olson (the same office where former Bush 43 SG and Prop 8 challenger Ted Olson is based). Tom's firm worked on one of the amicus briefs submitted by the Williams Institute. Coming up on April 18 is Baker & McKenzie's briefing on Prop 8 and DOMA.
