Lobbying is big business in Washington, D.C.—and with 2022 being an election year, lobbying efforts will go into overdrive. According to Lobbying Disclosure Act filings, 2020 set a record with $3.5 billion spent—a number that will likely be topped for 2021. Election campaign issues from prices at the pump to child tax credits and rising health care costs will be high on the agenda but also lobbying for foreign countries’ interests bundled under FARA are booming like never before, sending K Street into a frenzy. In our cover story, we dive deep into the world of law and lobbying—and, what money can buy you on Capitol Hill.

The intersection of law and politics has different meanings for firms in Washington, D.C., but for most, it is crucial for success. “Politics are impossible to isolate and extract from my law firm. Public policy, government and politics are to D.C. what money is to New York,” says Charles “Chuck” Cooper, founder of legendary boutique Cooper & Kirk. After celebrating his firm’s 25th anniversary late last year, Cooper sat down with The National Law Journal for several up-close interviews offering a very personal view on a career that has been intricately intertwined with D.C. politics.