When California atheist Michael Newdow rises on Wednesday to tell the Supreme Court that the words "under God" don't belong in the Pledge of Allegiance recited in public schools, he will truly stand alone.
Most lawyers bring one or two colleagues to counsel's table. But Newdow isn't like most lawyers. As of last week, Newdow, a litigant taking the rare step of arguing his own case, planned to have no one with him as his quixotic and controversial battle culminates in his first oral argument before the Supreme Court.
His solitary stance symbolizes his resistance to pleas that he let a Supreme Court veteran argue his case for him in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, No. 02-1624.
The complete -- and very interesting -- article by Tony Mauro of Legal Times can be accessed here. The merits briefs are here.