What Should Academics Know About Lobbying Law?

By Holly Fernandez Lynch, Alison Bateman-House and Suzanne M. Rivera

Academics sometimes get a bad rap for being stuck in their ivory towers. But many academics realize that their expertise can be useful to policymakers and aim to make it widely available through a variety of avenues. We write op-eds, publish in policy-oriented journals, send letters to elected officials, write amicus briefs, submit comments on proposed regulations, serve on advisory committees, and offer testimony. At the current political moment, these types of public engagement and advocacy activities are particularly salient for academics doing work relevant to health and science policy, topics at the top of the national agenda.

In a recent article in Academic Medicine, we describe how academics can engage in advocacy without running afoul of legal restrictions on lobbying. Here are the top 10 things you need to know.

1. What counts as lobbying? “Lobbying” is a legal term of art, and it means different things in different laws, regulations, and policies. For example, the Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act governs contacts with legislative or executive branch officials on behalf of a client for compensation. Federal tax laws applicable to non-profits govern attempts to influence legislation. And restrictions imposed by public funders cover attempts to influence legislation and funding decisions.