Olson was named to the list in tandem with David Boies, chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, for their work in challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, the California constitutional amendment that eliminated marriage rights for same-sex couples.
The pair are described by Time magazine as the “lions of America’s legal establishment.” It goes on to note “they’ve put on an extraordinary case in the federal court system … They remind us that the ideas binding us together in our constitutional democracy are far more important than those separating us.”
Ken Doran, managing partner of Gibson Dunn, commented on the honor in a press release.
“Ted Olson definitely has the power to influence, by both his words and his actions,” said Ken Doran, Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “He is one of the most compelling advocates I’ve ever known. We’re very honored and proud to have him as our colleague.”
Olson called the same-sex marriage issue “one of the most significant civil rights issues we have remaining in this country.”
