Robert Raben

is the founder of The Raben Group, LLC, heading a legislative consulting and lobbying practice that develops strategies to achieve complicated public policy goals. Mr. Raben creates bipartisan issue campaigns for clients, using law, communications and advocacy to meet needs. Nearly 20 years of professional experience as an attorney, senior Hill staffer and Assistant Attorney General has given Mr. Raben a nuanced understanding of both the legal subtleties and the political realities of the issues he handles. In addition, he brings an aggressively bipartisan approach to the firm, built during a highly respected legislative career that began on Representative Barney Frank's staff and concluded with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde's endorsement of his Justice Department appointment. Mr. Raben served as Counsel to Congressman Barney Frank for seven years, with responsibilities including all issues relating to the Judiciary Committee, Massachusetts fisheries and national civil rights policy and politics. The quality of his work on Frank's staff soon carried him onto the Judiciary Committee itself, initially as Democratic Counsel for the Subcommittee on the Constitution. In that role he worked effectively on affirmative action, choice, civil rights, equal employment, fair housing and immigration policy. Mr. Raben then moved to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, again serving as Democratic Counsel. In that capacity, he advised members on copyright, property and trademark law and policy, and on issues relating to the Federal Courts. Despite his position on Democratic staff, Mr. Raben soon built a reputation for dedication and legal acuity among Democrats and Republicans alike, through work with Republican members and staff on such issues as the omnibus patent reform bill, database protection standards, WIPO implementation and copyright liability for Internet service providers. After a unanimous confirmation vote, Mr. Raben was charged with overseeing Attorney General Janet Reno's legislative initiatives and handling extensive Congressional oversight of the department. He dealt extensively with both bodies of Congress and either side of the aisle as chief lobbyist and strategist on a range of issues, including intellectual property, federalism, tort reform and cybercrime. A graduate of Wharton and NYU law, Mr. Raben became an associate with the widely respected law firm Arnold & Porter in 1990, specializing in international trade, federal lobbying and white collar criminal defense. Soon thereafter, he joined the faculty of Georgetown University Law School as an adjunct professor - a position he held until confirmation as Assistant Attorney General. He is a past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC, and serves on the Boards of the Hispanic Bar Foundation, American Constitution Society and Alliance for Justice.