Roberts assisted gays in landmark case : new documents may hint at nominee's position on gay issues

L. Chibbaro, E. Melzer

Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. provided significant help to gay activists in a 1996 landmark Supreme Court case protecting gays from discrimination based upon their sexual orientation, the Los Angeles Times reported. At the time, Roberts was a lawyer specializing in appellate work for Hogan & Hartson, a large D.C.-based law firm. Walter A. Smith Jr., then head of the pro bono department of the firm, told the paper that Roberts didn't hesitate. "He said, 'Let's do it.' And it's illustrative of his open-mindedness, his fair-mindedness. He did a brilliant job." Roberts did not write the legal briefs or argue the case before the Supreme Court, but he was instrumental in reviewing filings and preparing oral arguments, according to several lawyers intimately involved in the case, reported the Los Angeles Times.