Page 19 - CLT070620

NEWS JULY 6, 2020 ¦ 19

Department’s Office of Legal Counsel argues the
timeline for adopting this iteration of the ERA has
run out, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg earlier
this year said she believes the process should start
over.

Here’s a snapshot of amicus briefs filed in the case
this week, and the Big Law women behind them.

>> Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison:
Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and ex-
Mueller prosecutor Jeannie Rhee are part of the
Paul Weiss team behind an amicus brief on behalf
of nearly 100 businesses and corporations in sup-
port of the ERA. Firm partners Liza Velazquez and
Andrew Gordon are joined by firm associates Tamar
Holoshitz and Benjamin Bergmann on the brief, and Loretta Lynch, former U.S. attorney general. Credit:
former firm partner Maria Vullo of Vullo Advisory Diego M. Radzinschi / ALM

Services and Rebecca LeGrand of LeGrand Law also ERA’s validity in this litigation. Addressing the ratifi-
signed. cation issue on its merits would prematurely entangle
What the brief says: “Proudly joining the over- the court in deciding abstract issues not necessary
whelming majority of Americans that support the to resolve a concrete controversy. Congress—the
ERA, amici recognize that eliminating systemic democratically elected, federal-lawmaking branch
barriers that impede women’s economic and social of government—is best placed to resolve disagree-
advancement will result in a more just, vibrant, and ments between states about the validity of a federal
productive America. Ratification of the ERA sends constitutional amendment.”
a powerful message about the nation’s commitment
to sex equality—a message amici believe would be >> Covington & Burling: Former DOJ official
transformational for the American economy. Amici and firm partner Beth Brinkmann, alongside as-
strongly urge this Court to order the Archivist to sociates Lauren Moxley and Megan Keenan, joined
perform his statutory duty to publish and certify the with human rights attorney Kate Kelly to file an am-
ERA as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment.” icus brief for the organization Generation Ratify and
other pro-gender equality youth groups in support
>> Hogan Lovells: Firm partner Jessica Ellsworth, of the ERA.
senior associate Kaitlyn Golden and associate Erin What the brief says: “In supporting the plaintiff
Chapman filed an amicus brief on behalf of consti- states’ effort to resolve the century-long movement
tutional law scholars who don’t support any party in to guarantee gender equality in the Constitution, we
the lawsuit, but argue the fight invokes the political urge the court to not view the Equal Rights Amend-
question doctrine and therefore should be resolved ment as only our grandmother’s fight. Rather, we
in Congress and not a federal court. The firm was urge the court also to recognize its importance to
filed for Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, young and diverse advocates of this generation
Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman, Reva Siegel that the Amendment be added to the Constitution.
of Yale Law and Julie C. Suk with the City University Young advocates have led the movement to ratify the
of New York. Equal Rights Amendment since its inception. Sup-
What the brief says: “The separation of powers porters of the Equal Rights Amendment recognize
requires this court to refrain from adjudicating the
¦ Continued on PAGE 20

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune