The National Rifle Association (NRA)
announced on Monday that it would no longer use the law firm King &
Spalding due to the firm's decision to withdraw from representing
House Republicans in ongoing litigation challenging the
constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law
that bans federal agencies from recognizing the marriages of gay and
lesbian couples, the
Blog of Legal Times reported.
The Atlanta-based firm last week
announced
it would drop the case, prompting
partner Paul Clement to jump ship to the Washington-based Bancroft
PLLC, where he'll continue to work on the case. House leaders
took on the task of defending the law after President Barack Obama
announced he would no longer because he believes it to be
unconstitutional.
In a letter to the law firm, NRA
general counsel David Lehman criticized the firm's decision.
“We believe King & Spalding's
decision is indefensible and raises serious concerns about its
ability to be a reliable and effective advocate for any client facing
potentially controversial litigation,” the letter said.
Conservatives have criticized the
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and other gay groups for pressuring King
& Spalding to withdraw from the case.
The NRA is the second client to walk
away from the prestigious law firm over its decision.
Last week, Virginia
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said the firm would no longer be used
by his office.