Gibson Dunn and Pallas Partners File Amicus Brief at U.S. Supreme Court in Chiles v. Salazar

Firm News  |  August 28, 2025

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Gibson Dunn and Pallas Partners have filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in Chiles v. Salazar on behalf of The Trevor Project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness in support of respondents Patty Salazar and Colorado’s narrowly tailored ban on conversion therapy.

The case concerns whether Colorado’s ban, which prohibits licensed therapists from using conversion therapy on minors to attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, violates the First Amendment. Amici argue that the ban prevents a practice that causes serious harm to LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Project’s data and experience confirms that conversion therapy delivered under the guise of professional care is dangerous and causes significant harm to LGBTQ youth, including increasing their risk of attempting or dying by suicide. The Colorado legislature properly considered this data and competing positions and ultimately concluded that a ban was necessary to mitigate the established serious harms arising from conversion therapy. In passing the ban, under United States v. Skrmetti and a long line of precedent, Colorado exercised its traditional authority to protect minors and its authority to regulate medical treatments and standards of care offered by licensed professionals.

The Gibson Dunn team, led by associate Kelly Herbert, includes partner Abbey Hudson; partner Stuart Delery; partner Amer Ahmed and associate Apratim Vidyarthi; associate Daniel Magalotti; associate Alexander Fischer; and associate Jesse Eaton-Luria.