Next week, the Obama administration must decide whether to take part in the California case by filing a "friend of the court" brief.
"The solicitor general is still looking into this," President Obama said Wednesday in an interview with a San Francisco TV station. "I can tell you, though, obviously my personal view, which is that same-sex couples should have the same rights and be treated like everybody else."
Olson and co-counsel David Boies said they decided to "paint the broad picture" for the Supreme Court on how marriage for gays fits with the nation's historic commitment to liberty and equality.