Amicus Curiae Merits Brief, United States of America v. Edith Sclain Windsor, No. 12-307 (US 2013)

Dechert’s amicus brief on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was filed on behalf of a sitting federal bankruptcy judge on behalf of Respondent Edith Schlain Windsor. The distinct contribution of this brief was to demonstrate the discriminatory origins and rationalizations for DOMA in comparison with the substantially similar discriminatory origins and rationalizations for a variety of other unconstitutional legislation, namely various anti-miscegenation statutes and other laws discriminating against women, aliens, and illegitimate children. Dechert attorneys G. Eric Brunstad, Jr. (counsel of record), Collin O’Connor Udell, Matthew J. Delude, Constance Beverley, Kate O’Keeffe, Mark P. DiPerna, Alicia M. Farley, Victoria Campbell Fitzpatrick, Rani Habash, Amy Thayer, Michael J. Sullivan, Anna Do, and Brian Raphel filed the amicus curiae brief in support of Respondent.

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