I decided to start this blawg as my own “ice-axe to break the frozen sea within [me].” I have been toying with the idea of starting this blawg for some time, but hesitated each time because I thought that, quite possibly, that I really didn’t have much to say after all. I’ve decided that the only way to find out is to simply begin.
You might well ask “what is ‘legislative law?’” I use “legislative law” to refer to several related concepts. First, it refers to the “discipline [formulated by Georgetown Law Prof. Chai Feldblum] of combining knowledge of political realities with a thorough understanding of legal issues — to [let the lawyer] develop legislation that effectively meets one’s goals and still has a realistic chance of passage, or to stop or modify legislation that is antithetical to one’s goals.” It also refers to that part of the law concerned with legislative bodies (including their election and composition) and the legislative process. It also refers to that part of the law concerned with working with the product of legislative bodies, popularly known as statutory construction. It isn’t primarily about lobbying or lobbyists, although it does address the legal regulation of those who lobby Federal, state, and local legislative bodies.
A legislative lawyer is a lawyer that straddles “the vast difference[s] between law in the books and law in action.” See Arthur T. Vanderbilt, Forward to Vol. 1, 1 Tex. L. & Legis. 1 (1947).
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Almost as exciting as a law school class!