Sandler Reiff Young & Lamb has been one of the go-to sources over the past few days as journalists have reported and analyzed the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon v.FEC. Below are just some of the stories where attorneys at SRYL have provided their expertise:
David Mitrani told the Center for Public Integrity that since the Supreme Court ruled that aggregate contribution limits are unconsititutional, it is unlikely that similar aggregate limits in twelve states and the District of Columbia will continue to stand.
David Mitrani also helped MotherJones break down the aforementioned aggregate limits at the state level.
Neil Reiff told Campaigns and Elections that party committees are one of the big winners in the aftermath of McCutcheon: “If an individual wants to triple max each year to the three national committees, that is $194,400 for the two-year cycle, way more than the aggregate limit.”
Neil Reiff reminded Bloomberg that while someone could theoretically create a “Super-Joint Fundraising Committee,” in order to write one check that is distributed among dozens of candidates, they could likely still get more bang for their buck by contributing to a Super PAC.
Late yesterday, David Mitrani told Reuters that campaign officials in Maryland and Massachusetts had already stopped enforcing aggregate contribution limits, a little more than 24-hours after the McCutcheon decision was handed down.
Finally, Neil Reiff told the Wall Street Journal that while Democratic lawmakers generally prefer more restrictions on money in elections, party strategists will welcome the loss of federal aggregate contribution limits.
The Election Law Society at the College of William and Mary Law School awarded Liz Howard (J.D. ’09) with the ELS Alumnus of the Year Award. In addition to her regular outstanding practice advising candidates, committees, non-profits, and lobbyists on election law matters, Ms. Howard was also recognized for her tireless work last November serving on the recount team for the Mark Herring for Attorney General [of Virginia]. She was also recognized for her work as lead counsel of the victorious recount team for Lynwood Lewis, whose state Senate special election decided control of the Virginia State Senate.
Ms. Howard was honored on March 21st at the second annual D.C. Friends of ELS Reception.
Joseph Sandler, Neil Reiff, and Jim Lamb were once again named by Washingtonian Magazine as three of the top attorneys in Washington, DC. They were recognized for their outstanding work in the field of Campaign and Election Law. Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb is one of only three firms to have three attorneys on the biennial list. This also marks the third consecutive biennial cycle that Mr. Sandler, Mr. Reiff, and Mr. Lamb were named by WashingtonianMagazine.
MITRANI JOINS SANDER REIFF AS ASSOCIATE: David Mitrani has joined Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb as an associate after successfully passing the bar exam. He’ll work mostly on election law, nonprofit law and lobbying compliance issues for political committees, state parties, labor unions, corporations and other groups on navigating federal and state campaign finance laws. He’s also worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in communications, as well in the Democratic National Committee’s research shop.
Sandler, Reiff, Young, & Lamb has entered into a strategic alliance with renowned election attorney Mark Grueskin and the law firm of Recht Kornfeld. SRYL will work with Mr. Grueskin and Recht Kornfeld on common projects and political matters. Read more about the alliance over at Law Week Colorado.
In front of a capacity crowd, Jeff Wice spoke Monday morning at the National Conference of State Legislatures on a panel regarding voting rights. Titled “Shelby County v. Holder: The Future of the Voting Rights Act,” Mr. Wice discussed the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision and how it affects state legislators and activists going forward. Prior to the ruling, legislatures in many southern states required pre-clearance from the federal Department of Justice in order to make any changes to voting procedures. However, the Court struck down this requirement, and many of the affected states are poised to begin changing their voting laws.
Despite many state legislators and activists alike taking an interest in the subject, he told Politico after the panel that “It’s a quiet before the storm period, and it’s hard to tell when the storm is going to hit. No one expects Congress to act, and there’s also a wait–and–see approach to see how far think tanks and legal defense organizations go to bring lawsuits to expand [VRA] challenges.”
Read the full article from Politico, with a more complete write-up of the panel, here.
On June 5, CASA de Maryland, the immigrants advocacy and support organization that is the largest Latino and immigrant group in the state, honored Sandler Reiff Young & Lamb with its Justice Award for our Firm’s pro bono work on the Maryland DREAM Act. Together with a team from Arnold & Porter, the Firm represented “Dreamer” students and voters in the court battle to attempt to block a statewide referendum on the DREAM Act, which makes available to to undocumented immigrants in-state tuition at community colleges and the state University system if certain conditions are met. The court challenge did not succeed but Maryland voters approved the law in the 2012 general election. (The Firm also represented the ballot committee formed to persuade voters to approve the law).
Chambers & Partners, one of the leading researchers in the legal profession, identified Sandler, Reiff, Young, & Lamb, PC as one of the top law firms dealing in Political and Election Law. In it’s 2013 guide to the top law firms, Chambers selected SRYL as a Band 2 law firm, recognizing the firm’s strength in catering to client’s needs. Chambers also recognized the firm’s broad client base, including candidates for federal, state, and local office, businesses, unions, non-profits, PACs, and political party committees. SRYL was recognized for it’s status as a boutique firm, allowing firm attorneys a high level of personal interaction with clients, and was the smallest firm recognized by Chambers in this practice area.
Chamber’s specifically recognized Joseph Sandler as a “Key Individual,” with a strong focus on matters of campaign finance, and corporate and tax issues that affect political advocacy.
On March 14, 2013, Jeff Wice will moderate a panel on the possible effects of the decision in Shelby County v. Holder. The panel is presented jointly by the New York Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society and LatinoJustice PRLDEF. Mr. Wice will moderate a panel consisting of Leah Aden ,Assistant Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Juan Cartagena, President of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and Myrna Pérez, Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice.
At issue in Shelby County v. Holder – which has been argued before the Supreme Court, but not yet decided – was the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The panel will discuss how the case made its way to the Supreme Court, as well as the potential ramifications of the Supreme Court striking down the statute.
Joseph Sandler, Neil Reiff, and Jim Lamb were once again named by Washingtonian Magazine as three of the top attorneys in Washington, DC. They were recognized for their outstanding work in the field of Campaign and Election Law. Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb is one of only three firms to have three attorneys on the biennial list. This also marks the third consecutive biennial cycle that Mr. Sandler, Mr. Reiff, and Mr. Lamb were named by Washingtonian Magazine.
