Evan Wolfson has penned an article at the Advocate stating that he believes we have made a very wise and excellent choice in Mary Bonauto to represent us at the SCOTUS on April 28 (for marriage equality). Mary Bonauto argued and won the marriage equality case in Massachusetts (the first marriage equality state). And, the Goodridge ruling has been quoted in numerous marriage equality briefs and rulings since then. I agree with Mr Wolfson that she is an excellent choice to argue our case before the SCOTUS. Although, I do admit that it would be fun to hear Ted Olson tangle with Justice Scalia again. I guess we can't have everything.
From The Advocate:
The freedom to marry is back at the Supreme Court, our momentum is irrefutable, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team of attorneys representing our movement on the marriage cases that the Supreme Court is now weighing. Local private attorneys, seasoned Supreme Court litigators, and the familiar champions from our movement’s indispensable legal arm — the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights — have done an extraordinary job in navigating the lower courts, banging out persuasive briefs making every conceivable and needed argument to the justices, and delivering, with Freedom to Marry’s assistance, an impressive cascade of friend-of-the-court briefs presenting evidence and manifesting support.
There is no one more fitting to be standing before the court on behalf of all of us than Mary. We couldn’t be in better hands.
For 25 years, Mary has been a star lawyer at GLAD and for our movement. She has talked to thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and has a deep and wise understanding of the discrimination we face, our needs, and our dreams.
Mary brought, argued, and won the historic Goodridge case in Massachusetts that led to the first state with the freedom to marry and the first same-sex couples marrying in the United States. It was Mary who first made a marriage win stick. Before that, Mary played a central role in winning civil unions in Vermont. Mary and her Vermont co-counsel grasped the need for sustained public education and organizing to set the stage for success in litigation. And it was Mary who spearheaded the litigation strategy that brought down the central part of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, racking up the first successful legal challenges to DOMA. Without Mary, there would not have been our movement’s 2013 victory in Windsor v. United States.
Mary has rightly been acclaimed a giant, a superstar, and even a genius; she even won a MacArthur award last year.
There is much more, and the entire editorial is excellent and definitely worth reading. And, you can read the time allotted for arguments in the marriage equality cases at this
Equality On Trial post.