Would someone please help? (Lobbyist research paper)

[iamthebandfanman]

hey guys and gals
my daughter recently got an assignment to write a paper on the pro's and con's of being a lobbyist. i know very little about the subject, besides the fact that i dont like the idea of corporate lobbyist....
so could someone with more knowledge on the subject please give me some pro's and con's of being one?
thanks in advance for anyone who can help!

people here at DU are very bright so i knew right where to come for an answer :)

[shoelace414]

1. pros and cons for

the person being the lobbiest or for the country?

[iamthebandfanman]

4. for being one , thanks btw n/t

[acmejack]

6. Many, if not most, have JDs

Always a good fall back profession.

[Sammy Pepys]

8. Not true.....n/t

....

[acmejack]

9. Ok I just made that up!

Ok of the fourteen lobbyists I personally know all fourteen are attorneys, is that acceptable to you?

on edit perhaps you would care to expound on why so many lobbying firms happen to be law firms and so many of the practicing registered lobbyists happen to be lawyers is this just a huge coincidence in my experience only? I can produce quite a few people who will admit to being both.

[Sammy Pepys]

11. I'm a lobbyist.

So we must have different experiences. But we might know the same people.

[rumpel]

2. I would start by googling "K Street" and you'll find tons of articles.

also, organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife, labor unions etc.
I do not know how old she is, but she will be able to draw her own conclusions.

have fun

:)

[Sammy Pepys]

3. Pros and cons

Pros:

1) Get to meet a wide variety of people, from Senators to "little guys."
2) Get to learn the legislative process almost as intimately as those who work on the Hill.
3) Sometimes, you do work for very interesting, legitimate, worthy causes...it's not all big tobacco and evil oil companies.
4) The money is good for most folks.
5) Lobbying experience can easily be parlayed into other fields.

Cons:

1) Reputation of the profession, obviously.
2) You're occasionally expected (unfairly, I think) to be a miracle worker both from your clients AND from the people you actually lobby.
3) Always highly scrutinized, by both your clients and the people you lobby.
4) Extremely political, and I don't mean in a Democrat/Republican way.
5) Non-stop job. 12 hour days and weekend work is not unusual.

[iamthebandfanman]

5. thanks a bunch

anything else you or anybody else can come up with is highly appreciated!

[Sammy Pepys]

7. Some more.....

The types of people/companies who hire lobbyists are so diverse it's unreal. It's everything from multi-national megaconglomerates to guys who have maybe 10 employees and work out of a warehouse. Having "Washington representation" has kind of become a status symbol.

A lot of lobbyists get hired by word-of-mouth. Potential clients usually find you.

A lot of lobbyists have at least some experience as a Congressional staffer, though it's not really required....but lobbying as a post-Hill career is a pretty popular trend.

[dogday]

10. Here is a link that I think will be helpful

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbyist

[brook]

12. A good book...

The Lobbyists

Out of print, but available at Amazon for a pittance.