Insights on State & Local Advocacy

As the first quarter comes to a close, the ArentFox Schiff Hospitality Industry team reviews 10 of the most pressing legal issues for hospitality companies for 2025.

Government Relations Co-Leader Jon Bouker will present at the 51st Annual DC History Conference on April 4, 2025.

Government Relations Co-Leader Jon Bouker will present at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) David A. Clarke School of Law’s 2025 Law Review Symposium on March 21, 2025.

Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon will give a presentation titled “Reconciliation: What It Means for Sector Policy Priorities” Foundations on the Hill 2025, hosted and presented by United Philanthropy Forum and the Council on Foundations in partnership with Independent Sector, in Washington, DC, on February 23, 2025.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting increase in federal telework have reduced the daily usage of federal buildings in Washington, DC. Over the last few years, Mayor Muriel Bowser has not been shy in highlighting the economic harm of reduced foot traffic to small businesses and transit ridership in the District of Columbia, particularly downtown.

On June 28, the US Supreme Court overruled the Chevron doctrine, significantly reducing the power of federal agencies’ staff acting as experts in interpreting federal statutes.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, the US Department of Education identified 7.3 million students as chronically absent, meaning that 16% of the student population, or approximately one in six students, were categorized as being at higher risk of not learning and dropping out of school.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 70 attorneys were recognized as leaders in their field and 23 practices spanning the firm’s litigation, regulatory, and transactional capabilities were ranked among the best in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that 16.32% of youth (aged 12-17) in the District of Columbia (DC) experience at least one major depressive episode (MDE).

Educational technology (EdTech) has long been used by educators as a way to support teaching and facilitate student learning using a wide range of digital tools, platforms, and resources designed to engage students and encourage innovation.

In late 2023, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a public emergency recognizing the need for urgency in the District of Columbia’s government’s response to the increase in youth violence in the city.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 70 attorneys were recognized as leaders in their field and 24 practices spanning the firm’s litigation, regulatory, and transactional capabilities were ranked in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA.

The 2022 midterms have concluded, but the Republican underperformance is not expected to dampen Congressional enthusiasm for Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform. The issue remains at the forefront of the healthcare pricing debate.

On January 18, 2022, an amendment to Bill 24-612 (legislation that would extend the eviction moratorium in DC until June 30, 2022) (the “Amendment”) was introduced to the DC Council that proposed tolling tenant deadlines under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (“TOPA”) until February 28, 2022.

In November, with the pandemic apparently subsiding in DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser eased the City’s indoor mask mandate. On December 20, with COVID-19 cases again on the rise, Mayor Bowser declared a new state of emergency and reinstated the mask requirement.  

In this installment of the Inside DC podcast, DC Business & Policy Partner Jon Bouker recaps the FY2022 budget and looks ahead to the DC Council’s fall agenda with Partner David Grosso and Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon.

In December 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia passed the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020.

On Tuesday, July 13, DC lawmakers unanimously approved emergency legislation that will gradually phase out tenant protections, including the moratorium on evictions.

On May 24, 2021, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced plans to invest a record-setting $400 million into the District’s affordable housing production via direct injection into the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).

On this podcast, DC Business & Policy Partner Jon Bouker discusses the highlights, implications, and potential council changes to the Mayor’s proposed budget with Partner David Grosso and Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon.

DC Business & Policy Practice Group Leader Jon Bouker speaks with Co-Leader David Grosso and Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon about what you can expect from the DC budget process during this historic year.

After an extended and significant debate on Tuesday, April 6, the DC Council approved a delay in the Mayor’s submission of the FY2022 District budget to May 27, 2021.

What the new Congress could mean for federal cannabis reform.

DC SCORES, an award-winning youth development nonprofit that provides free afterschool programs and summer camps for 3,000+ D.C. kids at Title I schools and at recreation centers in neighborhoods.

In this recording of a recent Arent Fox event, former D.C. Councilmember and new Arent Fox Partner David P. Grosso talks with Government Relations Practice Co-Leader Jon S. Bouker and Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon III about what the new D.C. Council’s legislative activity and