Winning lawyers from Supreme Court concealed carry case leave firm

Two lawyers representing the plaintiff in the recent concealed carry Supreme Court case wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal. In the piece, former Solicitor General Paul Clement and Erin Murphy, a regular Supreme Court litigator, said they had left their law firm.

“After we prevail before the high court, we generally receive a round of congratulatory messages from law-firm colleagues for a job well done, especially when we have helped our clients vindicate their fundamental constitutional rights,” the two wrote in the opinion piece. “This time around, we received a very different message from our law firm… withdraw from representing [the plaintiff] or withdraw from the firm.”

According to Politico, the firm, Chicago-based Kirkland & Ellis, announced it had decided to step back from gun-related litigation. A spokesperson for the firm did not explain its rationale for dropping cases.

“We wish them the best of luck in the future and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future in matters not involving the Second Amendment,” Kirkland & Ellis attorney Jon Ballis said in a statement.

Clement and Murphy said they were going to launch their own law firm after leaving Kirkland & Ellis.

“There was only one choice: We couldn’t abandon our clients simply because their positions are unpopular in some circles,” the two wrote. “Our adversarial system of justice depends on the representation of controversial clients, no matter which side has most of big law rooting for it. This is particularly true in constitutional cases.”

The Supreme Court case the two lawyers argued for the plaintiff on centered on a New York state law requiring unrestricted concealed carry license applicants show a need for self-defense. The Court ruled the law as unconstitutional. In response to the ruling, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, promised new legislation to address gun violence.

“Our new laws are going to be looking at restrictions on sensitive locations, changing the permitting process, Creating a threshold for those. We’re going to have training requirements. We’re going to make sure that people have concealed weapons, have specified training,” Gov. Hochul said. “We have a whole lot of ideas. And also look at a system where businesses and private property owners would have the right to protect themselves. So stay tuned. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started here.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.