Dynamic Duo

The American Bar Association Gives Top Honors To Legal Team That Overturned Prop 8

Attorneys David Boies and ­­ Ted Olson were on opposite sides when they argued Bush v. Gore in 2000. But yesterday the legal dream team was honored with the ABA Medal for their united effort in winning Perry v. Schwarzenegger and taking down California’s odious Prop 8.

American Bar Association President Zack sang their praises in his introduction:

Both David and Ted have had storied legal careers…but together they can only be described as a force of nature. They have proven they are capable of righting wrongs wherever they exist—and they proved it again in their victory in California in Proposition 8.  The ABA medal is for the first time being given to two individuals because they stand for one principle.

(Watch his full address, and Boies and Olsen’s acceptance speeches, in the clip above.)

It’s been almost exactly a year since a U.S. District Court concluded, on August 4, 2010, that, “Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis.” This is the latest in a long line of kudos for the two, who were brought on board by The American Foundation for Equal Rights: Boies (right) was recently named “Lawyer of the Year” by the National Law Journal and the pair were selected as two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010.

But Boies and Olson won’t have time to rest on their accolades: They’ll be in California Supreme Court on September 6 to argue whether ballot proponents have an interest in defending the initiative when it’s challenged—an essential question in determining whether Prop 8 forces have standing to appeal Judge Vaughn R. Walker’s ruling.

Image via David Shankbone

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