The LA Times:

But the firm's abrupt withdrawal surprised some veteran Washington lawyers, who said they were not aware of a major law firm ever dropping a case because of bad publicity.

"I don't know of anything comparable to this. You have to be willing to stand your ground," said Theodore Olson, a partner at Gibson Dunn who served as Bush's solicitor general prior to Clement. Olson is one of the lawyers for the opponents of California's Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage.