American League of Lobbyists - Press: Background on the League

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Background on the League

Established in 1979, the mission of the American League of Lobbyists is to

Enhance the development of professionalism, competence and high ethical standards for advocates in the public policy arena;
Collectively address challenges which affect the first amendment right to "petition the government for redress of grievances," and
Promote ethical lobbying through its Lobbying Code of Ethics.

Our nearly 900 members are drawn from a broad spectrum of American public policy and opinion. Lobbyists play a legitimate and necessary role in our democratic political process. They represent all points of view on the major issues that confront the country and the Congress — environment, labor, the elderly, teachers, veterans as well as businesses, to name just a few. Membership is available to governmental affairs professionals working at the federal, state, or local level.

While our members have widely differing views and legislative priorities, they all share two very important characteristics:

They are all exercising their First Amendment right to participate in the American political process.
Collectively, they represent one of the major ways that politicians are held accountable to the people.

Governmental decisions at the federal, state, and local levels affect both individuals and organizations, and information must be provided in order to produce informed decisions. Public officials cannot make fair and informed decisions without considering information from a broad range of interested parties and experts. All sides of an issue must be explored in order to produce equitable government policies, and lobbyists are a key element of that process.

Paul Miller became the youngest person elected to serve as American League of Lobbyists (ALL) President in its history. As ALL celebrates its 25th anniversary, it has set an aggressive agenda and elected a top list of members to lead the organization for the next year. League plans include:

Advocating for a "Frequent Visitor Pass," which would allow all citizens who conduct business throughout government easier access to do their jobs, while at the same time protecting those buildings from potential dangers.
Providing more educational opportunities for lobbyists. If the profession is going to continue to play an important role in our system of government, lobbyists must continuously seek to improve their skills and knowledge.
Giving back to the community. This year ALL will begin highlighting its members and the charitable contributions they make to the Washington community. As an organization, ALL has taken the position that our members spend so much time working in the city that it is our obligation to give back to it. To that end, ALL conducts an annual charity basketball game each year with the help of Members of Congress that raises money for D.C. children's charities. ALL also collects clothing during its annual Capitol PurSuits drive in an attempt to assist the less fortunate when applying for a job or reentering the workforce.

With the help of the entire lobbying community, ALL can and will continue to serve a valuable service to its members and all lobbyists in Washington and throughout each state capitol.

Additional information on registration and reporting requirements for lobbyists as well as the American League of Lobbyists' organization is available throughout the web site.