What Atlanta's King & Spalding attorneys and employees think about the Defense of Marriage Act and their opinion on how they feel about the international law firm's decision to take on defending the Defense of Marriage Act will not be known, at least for the foreseeable future.

A story in the MetroWeekly states that all employees of the firm "are barred from advocating for the Respect of Marriage Act — the bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act — in the 112the Congress, according to the terms of the contract to defend DOMA that King & Spalding partner signed on the firm's behalf on April 14."

MetroWeekly reporter Chris Geidner reports the contract between King & Spalding and Kerry Kircher, the U.S. House of Representatives general counsel, includes a paragraph that states, "partners and employees who do not perform services pursuant to this Agreement will not engage in lobbying or advocacy for or against any legislation ... that would alter or amend in any way the Defense of Marriage Act and is pending before either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or any committee of either body during the term of the Agreement."

The Human Rights Campaign, which is targeting King & Spalding for agreeing to defend DOMA, told MetroWeekly that this contractual agreement "adds insult to injury."

"Not only is K&S promoting discrimination, they also are muzzling their own employees from opposing discrimination and doing what's right," said HRC spokesperson Fred Sainz.

Brian Basinger, the president of the Stonewall Bar Association in Georgia and an associate with King & Spalding, did not return calls seeking comment.