March 21, 2006

Ropes & Gray, a prestigious Boston law firm, has dropped Catholic Charities (CC) as a client. CC has long been a provider of adoption services in Boston , but recently stoppped providing these services because Mass. threatened to sue over CC's decision to stop placing children with same-sex couples.

The interesting aspect from a legal ethics perspective is whether Ropes & Gray acted appropriately when it dropped Catholic Charities as a client. The firm responded, at least in part, to pressure from a group of Harvard Law School students. I don't think lawyers are common carriers, but once one has taken on a client, Is it appropriate to drop the client because that client is politically unpopular with a group the firm tries to impress?

See details in The Boston Globe.