Robert Raben

{{Short description|American lawyer}}

{{Multiple issues|

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{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Rob Raben

|image = Robert Raben, Founder and President of The Raben Group.jpg

|office = United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs

|president = Bill Clinton

|term_start = October 7, 1999

|term_end = January 20, 2001

|predecessor = Andrew Fois

|successor = Daniel Bryant

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|11|11}}

|birth_place = Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|education = University of Pennsylvania (BS)
New York University (JD)

}}

Robert Raben (* November 11, 1963, in Miami Beach, Florida) is the founder and president of the Washington, D.C.–based lobbying and consulting firm The Raben Group, and was Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice under former President Bill Clinton.{{cite web|url=http://www.rabengroup.com|title=The Raben Group :: Homepage|publisher=rabengroup.com|accessdate=September 8, 2015}} Raben is known as a bipartisan player for progressive change in Washington.

Early life, education, and career

Raben holds a degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the New York University School of Law. Shortly after law school, Raben clerked for the Supreme Court of Mississippi and taught Law at the University of Miami before he joined the firm Arnold & Porter as an associate specializing in international trade, federal lobbying, and white-collar criminal defence.{{cite web|url=http://www.rabengroup.com/our-people/rraben|title=The Raben Group|publisher=rabengroup.com|accessdate=September 8, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bior1/raben01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514043039/http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bior1/raben01.html |archive-date=2011-05-14 |url-status = dead|title=Matt & Andrej Koymasky - Famous GLTB - Robert Raben|accessdate=September 8, 2015}}

Raben started his career on Capitol Hill as counsel for Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). He served in this capacity for seven years, advising him on civil rights policy and Judiciary committee issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-raben/|title=Robert Raben|publisher=huffingtonpost.com|accessdate=September 8, 2015}} His committee work for Rep. Frank eventually led him to his next role as Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary Committee on the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property,{{cite web |title=The 2009 Power 100 {{pipe}} Washington Life Magazine - Part 2 |url=http://www.washingtonlife.com/2009/05/01/the-power-100/2/ |accessdate=September 8, 2015 |publisher=washingtonlife.com}} and for the Subcommittee on the Constitution. In conjunction with his service on the Hill, Raben taught as a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.

In 1999, he was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and subsequently Assistant Attorney General under President Bill Clinton on October 7.{{cite book|title=Congressional Record, V. 147, Pt. 4, March 27, 2001 to April 23, 2001|author=Congress (U.S.)|date=2005|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|isbn=9780160726064|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-MRE505B-NsC&pg=PA4928|page=4928|accessdate=September 8, 2015}} Raben oversaw Attorney General Janet Reno's legislative initiatives and handled congressional oversight of the Department. He received a unanimous confirmation vote for this position along with an endorsement from the Senate Judiciary Committee's Republican subcommittee chairs. He acted as chief lobbyist and strategist on intellectual property, federalism, tort reform, and cybercrime issues.

The Raben Group, Since 2001

In 2001, Raben formed The Raben Group, a Washington, D.C.–based lobbying, consulting, and public affairs firm founded specializing in issues of law and public policy.{{cite web|url=http://www.rabengroup.com/about-raben-group |title=About The Raben Group }}Sunlight Foundation. [http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/lobbying/firm/raben-group Raben Group listing at Sunlight Foundation] Page accessed April 4, 2015. The firm maintains offices in Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles. Its lobbying income in 2014 was about $4.5M{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=D000036932|title=The Raben Group |work=OpenSecrets.org |accessdate=April 4, 2015}} and it was included in The Hill's top lobbyists in 2014.Staff, The Hill. October 22, 2014. [https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/221478-top-lobbyists-2014-hired-guns/ Top Lobbyists 2014: Hired Guns]

Notable issues or clients have included:

  • 2005 Free Speech Coalition, a pornography industry organization, working on issues of free speech and government regulation.Judy Sarasohn for the Washington Post. November 17, 2005 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602116.html Lobby Shop Is Over 21]
  • 2009: Gun control efforts led by Michael BloombergManuel Roig-Franzia for the Washington Post August 5, 2009 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080403132_pf.html A Battle of Goliaths: Michael Bloomberg and His Gun Control Group Take on the NRA]
  • 2013: Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, to obtain visas for Afghans and Iraqis "who were American interpreters, victims of sexual abuse, torture and members of the LGBT community facing 'life and death' situations."Kevin McCauley for O'Dwyer's. May 3, 2013 [http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/466/2013-05-03/raben-group-pushes-for-visas-for-at-risk-afghans.html Raben Group Pushes for Visas for At-Risk Afghans]
  • 2013 American Task Force Argentina, to assist the government of Argentina fighting effort of debt collectorsJake Johnston for the Center for Economic and Policy Research April 26, 2013 [http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/the-americas-blog/paid-to-trash-argentina-raben-does-just-that-without-disclosing-financial-interests Paid to Trash Argentina, Raben Does Just That, Without Disclosing Financial Interests]
  • 2014 LGBT issuesChris Johnson for The Washington Blade. July 17, 2014 [http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/07/17/gay-owned-firm-seeks-to-dive-deep-with-new-lgbt-initiative/ Gay-owned firm to 'dive deep' with new LGBT initiative]
  • 2015 Islamic Relief Worldwide, to educate Washington about its programmingKevin McCauley for O'Dwyer's. Mar. 26, 2015 [http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/4308/2015-03-26/raben-comes-relief-islamic-relief.html Raben Comes to Relief of Islamic Relief] Israel has banned Islamic Relief, accusing it of funding Hamas.

Boards and Associations

Since 1995, Raben has chaired both the Hispanic National Bar Association's (HNBA) D.C. Foundation and Endorsement Committee. Additionally, he sits on the boards of the [http://refugeerights.org/ Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project],{{cite web|url=http://refugeerights.org/our-work/advisors/|title=Our Board|publisher=refugeerights.org|accessdate=September 8, 2015|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726210054/http://refugeerights.org/our-work/advisors/|archivedate=July 26, 2014}} the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies,{{cite web|url=http://www.jointcenter.org/content/board-of-governors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615013321/http://www.jointcenter.org/content/board-of-governors |archive-date=2011-06-15 |url-status = dead|title=Board of Governors {{pipe}} Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies|accessdate=September 8, 2015}} and the [http://www.exonerate.org/ Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project].{{cite web|url=http://www.exonerate.org/about-2/about-child/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121002134/http://www.exonerate.org/about-2/about-child/ |archive-date=2008-11-21 |url-status = dead|title=Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project » Board of Directors|accessdate=September 8, 2015}}

Raben is also known for hosting salon discussions at his house with journalists and politicos. He frequently hosts salon discussions at his home with journalists, politicians, activists, and executives.

Personal life

Robert Raben has one daughter, Madeleine Raben Hegarty, 27 years old.

References