Joe Sandler served as a Co-Chair of the Task Force on Federal Lobbying Laws of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. On January 11, the Task Force issued its report, entitled “Lobbying Law in the Spotlight: Challenges and Proposed Improvements.” A resolution reflecting the Task Force’s recommendations will be considered by the Section of Administrative Law in April, for possible referral to the ABA House of Delegates at the organization’s annual meeting in Toronto.
The report recommends significant expansion in the scope of disclosure of lobbying activity and new restrictions on fundraising by lobbyists for the Members of Congress they lobby. Read the full report here.
In cooperation with the National Conference on State Legislators, Jeff Wice presented a media seminar, entitled “How Redistricting Works: the Nuts and Bolts for Reporters.” The seminar, held on January 25th, was designed to provide journalists a better understanding of the often complex process of redrawing congressional and state legislative boundaries. Jeff discussed the different techniques and software utilized by state legislatures’ and redistricting commissions, explained the use of census data in redrawing districts and provided an overview of the basic laws affecting the redistricting process.
Jeff will also be a featured speaker on several panels at the forthcoming national convention of the National Democratic Law Students Association.
At the end of last year, the Election Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Practice appointed Liz Howard as the Committee’s liaison to the ABA’s Standing Committee on Election Law. In this capacity, Liz will be responsible for coordination and communication between these two groups which represent the ABA’s two main bodies concerned with campaign finance, election administration and other election law issues.
Sandler, Reiff & Young was cited once again by Chambers USA as a top political law firm. In the 2010 Guide to the nation’s best lawyers, Sandler Reiff & Young is the only boutique firm cited for political law. The guide reads:
The firm has a distinguished history in Democratic political law matters. The firm handles a wide variety of complex issues, including campaign finance, compliance, recounts, voting rights, and election administration. In addition to advisory matters, the team is also well versed in contentious issues and has successfully litigated against federal agencies. Sources say: Sandler Reiff has a fantastic depth of experience and great expertise.
The guide cites Joseph Sandler in particular for being “outstanding on classic election law issues” and an expert in campaign finance, election law, non-profit organization ethics and lobbying regulation. “He wins acclaim for his solid and technically outstanding work.”
Joe Sandler spoke at the American Constitution Society’s panel, “Citizens United v FEC: The Decision, Its Implications, and the Road Ahead.” In his opening statement, Mr. Sandler spoke primarily about the constraints still in place on political committees, especially with regard to express advocacy. He also emphasized that the role of political parties will not be miniized, because of their ability to coordinate.
The full panel was moderated by William P. Marshall, Visiting Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School and also included:
William Rand Kenan, Jr. of UNC Chapel Hill School of Law Jan W. Baran, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP Laurence E. Gold, Of Counsel, Lichtman, Trister & Ross, PLLC; Associate General Counsel, AFL-CIO James S. Portnoy, Chief Counsel, Corporate & Government Affairs at Kraft Foods Monica Youn, Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice, NYU School of Law.
Mr. Sandler spoke to USA Today in the wake of the long-awaited Supreme Court ruling in the matter of Citizens United vs. FEC about the implications that the decision would have in terms of partisan advantage. Mr. Sandler told Fredreka Schouten and Joan Biskupic that “the ruling created no partisan advantage because it frees Democrat-allied unions to tap their treasuries.” Read the full article here.
Mr. Sandler also told Newser, “They’re going to be getting hammered much closer to Election Day on the air. That will make it tougher to cast tough votes,” about the potential for a proliferation of negative campaign ads aimed to coerce legislators into voting for or against a certain issue.
Sandler told Hotline reporter Reid Wilson that if, as expected, the decision opens the floodgates to more issue ads, the new ads will likely put even more pressure on incumbents seeking re-election. Said Sandler, “You will see more sharp-edged, candidate-specific ads on the air closer to the election. That could make it more difficult for incumbents to take tough votes in an election year.” Read the full article here.
Neil Reiff will speak at the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary on the impact of the Citizens United decision on the 2010 elections. The event, sponsored by the William and Mary Election Law Society, will be held on November 17, 2010
Joe Sandler participated in a panel on the future of campaign finance reform at the American Bar Association’s 2010 Administrative Law Conference. The panel, entitled “The 2010 Elections and the Future of Campaign Finance Reform,” addressed the impact of recent court decisions and FEC developments on the 2010 election cycle. The full conference agenda can be viewed here.
