AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
What was lobbied
12 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Budget/Appropriations BUD
FY25 and FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations - funding for the Legal Services Corporation; Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review Legal Orientation Program; and domestic violence survivor programs. FY25 and FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations - funding for the Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children Program. FY25 and FY26 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations - funding for foreign assistance related to democracy, human rights, and rule of law programs. FY26 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations - funding for federal defenders. FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations - funding for the Library of Congress. Support increased annual appropriations and robust funding for the Legal Services Corporation, as well as supplemental disaster relief funding. Activity in support of preservation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program under budget reconciliation.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| CHRISTINA ENNIS | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
| KENNETH GOLDSMITH | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV
S. 761, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2025. S.J.Res.38, H.J.Res.80 - Expressing the sense of Congress that the Equal Rights Amendment has been validly ratified. General discussions on the Equal Rights Amendment and possible implementation by the White House.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Statement of Policy Regarding Prohibition on Abusive Acts or Practices; Docket No CFPB-2023-0018; 88 Fed. Reg. 21883 (April 12, 2023)-provisions that could require creditor attorneys and law firms to act in the interests of consumers instead of their creditor clients in violation of the attorneys' existing ethical obligations or that would conflict with other existing state court ethical obligations. P.L. 119-4 (H.R. 1968), FY2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (through 9/30/2025)-draft amendment that would have extended the deadline for reporting companies formed before January 1, 2024 to submit their initial beneficial ownership reports to the Treasury Department under the Corporate Transparency Act until January 1, 2026. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers; Document No. 2024-19198; RIN 1506-AB54, 89 Fed. Reg. 70258 (August 29, 2024). H.J. Res. 55, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network relating to "Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers" H.R. ___, Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act, draft legislation clarifying that attorneys engaged in litigation should be regulated and disciplined solely by courts, federal agencies have no authority to regulate attorneys litigation activities, and parties in litigation have no federal private right of action against their opponents attorney for alleged litigation misconduct.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Foreign Relations FOR
Funding for foreign assistance agencies and programs that promote democracy, human rights, and rule of law. U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention on Mediation). U.S. engagement and leadership in international organizations.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
| THOMAS MICHAEL SUSMAN | — |
Government Issues GOV
H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act. Issues related to authorizing new federal judgeships. Issues relating to ensuring that Administrative Law Judges receive similar security protections as their state and federal counterparts. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Duty of Candor; Docket No. RM22-20-000, 87 Fed. Reg. 49784 (August 12, 2022)-provisions regulating certain attorneys engaged in the practice of law and requiring them to disclose certain attorney-client privileged and other protected client information.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
Immigration IMM
Issues related to the operation and funding for the Department of Health and Human Service's Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children Program. S. 5, the Laken Riley Act. Issues related to immigration detention standards - efforts to identify trends in the abuses reported on the ABAs detention hotline. Issues related to the operation and funding for the DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review's Legal Orientation Program.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| CHRISTINA ENNIS | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice LAW
S.1102, the Quality Defense Act - in support of state and local public defense systems. Activity in support of reintroduction of the EQUAL Defense Act to support state and local public defense systems. Activity in support of reintroduction of the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, draft legislation applying the same attorney-client privilege protections to electronic messages between individuals held in Bureau of Prisons facilities and their attorneys that already apply to all other forms of communication. HR 1702, Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2025 (JUDGES Act of 2025). HR 1526, No Rogue Rulings Act of 2025 - general research and discussions. General discussions on increasing attacks on judges and the legal profession and steps to reduce them. Issues relating to creating a guardianship court improvement program. Proposed changes to Customs and Border Protection Directive No. 3340-049 (Border Search of Electronic Devices Containing Information, dated August 20, 2009), Customs and Border Protection Directive No. 3340-049A (Border Search of Electronic Devices, dated January 4, 2018), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Directive No. 7-6.1 (Border Searches of Electronic Devices, dated August 18, 2009) to prevent border officials from reading, duplicating, seizing, or sharing attorney-client privileged or confidential client documents or information contained on attorneys laptop computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices at U.S. border crossings unless the officials first obtain a subpoena based on reasonable suspicion or a warrant supported by probable cause.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KENNETH GOLDSMITH | — |
Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR
H.R. 20 and S. 852, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act-provisions in Section 202 that would amend Section 203(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, 29 U.S.C. 433(c), to require attorneys to report certain confidential client information to the Department of Labor.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
Medicare/Medicaid MMM
Draft legislation to establish clear criteria for when a Medicare set-aside may be reviewed by Medicare, to provide a time frame for CMS to review set-aside submissions, and to provide an optional direct payment of set-aside amounts to Medicare.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD
Issues relating to ensuring market access for U.S. lawyers and law firms in foreign countries.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
Telecommunications TEC
Analyzed federal laws/regulations related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data security, digital/personal privacy, intellectual property to ensure they did not seek to harm or regulate the legal profession, such as by undermining the attorney-client privilege, the lawyers ethical duty to protect client confidentiality, the work product doctrine and do no limit the ability to access the justice system and legal counsel.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX
Draft legislation to permanently renew the 20% deduction for qualified business income contained in Section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and apply it to all pass-through businesses-including law firms and other professional service businesses-on an equal, non-discriminatory basis with no income-related phase-outs or other limitations. General research and discussions surrounding the tax status of nonprofit organizations, including as it relates to tax cut expirations.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.