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Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee looks to educate lawyer/lobbyists through video livestreams

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Legislative Activity at The CapitolBy creating its own video livestreams on Facebook and YouTube, the Bar’s Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee is helping its members get CLE credit and connect with each other.

And it will kick off its social media improvements on August 5 with a livestream CLE program featuring Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a former chair of the committee. She will answer questions from current committee Chair Kenneth Pratt and Vice Chair Rosanna Catalano.

The program will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

“We’re taking the committee into the 21st century by creating social media for the committee,” Catalano said. “More importantly, we are going to create some ways our committee members can secure CLE credit remotely.

“One of the ways we are doing this is by creating video livestreams and we are launching them on August 5. We have a live stream show, Connect at the Capitol.”

“Commissioner Nikki Fried is going to be our special guest,” Pratt said. “We’ll be talking with her about legislation her office passed or supported last year, what’s coming up in 2021, and COVID-19-related items.”

Pratt, who represents banking interests, has a particular question he wants to raise relating to banking for the state’s medical marijuana businesses, something that is against federal law.

Catalano, who besides her legislative advocacy work also runs Rocketship Consultants, which advises on social and other online media, will be producing the show. After its initial broadcast, it will be available for viewing by committee members from a link on the committee’s Bar webpage.

Pratt and Catalano said the committee is home for a small but active slice of Bar members who advocate before the Legislature and other governmental bodies.

“Although our members are attorneys, they don’t practice in the traditional way where they are managing trust funds for clients. They are not in a court room litigating,” Catalano said. “Our main focus this year is going to be CLEs and really pushing for CLEs that are relevant to our members.”

Going online will give a new way to reach those members, Pratt said.

“We’ve always done CLE programs that enhance lawyer/lobbyist relations, but I also want to add a social component,” he said. “That’s one of the things I’m hopeful we can do. We also want to make sure the legislators are acquainted with the lawyer/lobbyists who are members of our committee.”

Pratt said the committee hopes to be able to have some form of social events both for members to meet lawmakers and for members to network with each other.

“It helps to know to call if I have a question about education or the environment,” he said. “I hope to allow our membership to get more acquainted with each other and our specialties.

“We’re excited about the opportunity. Lawyer/lobbying is kind of a niche area, but it is an important one for lawyers.”

The committee’s Facebook site is: https://www.facebook.com/Connect-at-the-Capitol-105693067869248/.

Its YouTube channel is at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSWHhr3aenR54jzWZ-06tTw.

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/68185960/admin/.

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