ABA book provides detailed roadmap for lobbying efforts

The American Bar Association has teamed up with the National Association of Bar Executives to publish “All Politics Is Local: A Practical Guide to Effective Advocacy for State and Local Bars.”

The new guide, the latest cooperative venture between the governmental affairs offices of the two organizations, is intended to provide a set of tools to aid state and local bars to engage in effective public policy advocacy on their home turf.

Generally, the ABA’s Governmental Affairs Office focuses on federal issues of interest to the legal profession, while the members of NABE’s Governmental Relations Section are most active at the state level. “All Politics Is Local” represents their most ambitious project in terms of working together to advance public policy interests in the legal profession.

Much of “All Politics Is Local” addresses lobbying fundamentals and is geared more toward governmental affairs professionals who have had limited exposure to policymakers. Still, other portions, such as those chapters dealing with technical disclosure laws, political action committees and the nuances of congressional lobbying vs. state legislature advocacy, should be useful to all bar professionals, including the most seasoned state bar lobbyists.

The 145-page free guide is available on the ABA GAO website.