Ethics for Legislative Drafters

Bruce FeustelNational Conference of State Legislatures

WebinarDecember 1, 2009

Purpose of Workshop

Better understand how colleagues perceive, analyze and respond to ethical challenges

Examine some resources and frameworks to help you make ethical decisions

Challenge your own assumptions and practices

Webinar Instructions

Midway through the webinar we will include several audience surveysGroups will need one person at the computer ready to cast your voteThis person will also need to type questions and other responses for your groupWe will move quickly through the votes, so get ready and go with your first instinct

Overview

Defining ethicsEthical issues come without warningTypical areas of ethical tensionCase studies to prepare you Tools to guide you

Themes

Themes from other legislative drafters—what’s important…

Keep your eye on the big picture---what helps the legislative process and institution

Be stridently nonpartisanZealously work for each legislator Use common sense and experience

Themes with Cautions

Keep your eye on the big picture---what helps the legislative process and institution [but who decides what is best for the institution?]

Be stridently nonpartisan [but aren’t legislators pushing for something more?]

Zealously work for each legislator [but what happens when their interests differ?]

Use common sense and experience [but what if you’re new or stuck in a rut?]

Why Does Ethical Behavior Matter?

Builds trust with citizens, legislators and staff• Builds a better work product• Creates a healthier environment in which to

work• Fosters a sense of pride and professionalism• Promotes personal and professional integrity

Defining Ethics

Doing what is rightLegal ethics: obedience to the enforceableValue-based ethics: obedience to the unenforceable

Based on your values and beliefsLike a muscle, must be used

Ethical Issues Come without Warning

Work in political world but be neutralWorking in committeesAnswering question on tight time framesMultiple tasksWorking with the mediaConflicts between good principles/goals

Tension Points

Typical areas of tension:

Who is the client: legislator or legislature?What does confidentiality really mean?Where do my loyalties lie?Do it right or do it quick?Do I provide the same level of service to each legislator and for each issue?

Tension Points…more

Should you be quiet or speak up?What’s your opinion?Should you change your draft or other work product?

What is your province and what is the legislator’s?

What may you accept from lobbyists or others in the legislative arena?

What are my personal beliefs?

What helps?

Help through ethical challenges:Learn on the jobAdvice from supervisors and colleaguesPlan for typical tension areasLegal requirements, rules and agency policies

Applicable codes of conductPersonal and agency values and beliefs

Legal and Regulatory Requirements

LawsLegislative rulesSupreme Court or other attorney conduct rulesBill drafting manualsAgency personnel manuals and memorandaOral directives from your superiors

Duties and Values

What are the legislative agency's key duties?What are your personal core values?What are the legislative agency's core values?How do these duties and values connect to each other?

Are they ever in conflict?

Small Group Exercise

Case studies exercises:Change your memorandumConfidentialityFree stuffLegislator misrepresents the facts

ETHICS CHALLENGES FOR LEGISLATIVE DRAFTERS

1.  Change Your Memorandum

A legislator asks you to write a memorandum to explain her bill.  She makes it clear that she is going to distribute your memo to other legislators.  You write an objective description and she comes back to you, telling you to drop one paragraph because the issue isn’t central to the bill. 

ETHICS CHALLENGES FOR LEGISLATIVE DRAFTERS

2. ConfidentialityYou are the legislative staff attorney for a legislative committee.  The chair tells you in confidence that House Bill 200 is going forward in committee today and that House Bill 300 is “going nowhere.”  You happen to go over to the legislative fiscal analyst’s office and you find her frantically writing fiscal memoranda to both bills.  She tells you that she has no idea if she is going to be able to finish both memoranda before the committee meeting will start.

ETHICS CHALLENGES FOR LEGISLATIVE DRAFTERS

3.  Free Stuff

You are a lawyer working with a lobbyist on a bill draft.  A senator has instructed you to work with the lobbyist and draft the bill to his satisfaction.  Time is short and the lobbyist asks you to come to a working dinner where you will talk about the bill and iron out some of the details.  What do you do? 

ETHICS CHALLENGES FOR LEGISLATIVE DRAFTERS

4. Legislator Misrepresents the Facts

Before a committee meeting, a legislator asks for your understanding of some aspects of a bill.  You explain carefully, but the legislator gets up in the meeting and describes your conversation and attributes several statements to you that you never said. 

Staff Perspective

Model Code of Conduct for Legislative StaffBasic guidelines

Public servant - assist state legislatureLoyalty to legislative branchDuty to act in a way that makes staff

person worthy of trust and confidence

Legislative Staff Ethics

Model Code of Conduct for Legislative StaffDuties to legislators, other staff and the public

Honest, discreet and candidObjective, competent, diligent and fairRespectful and supportiveCourteous and law-abiding

Honest

Maintain high standard of honestyNo - property for personal useNo - employment for personal gainGive full effort for pay receivedTell the truthBe honest in all aspects of life

Discreet

In what you reveal about workMaintain confidentialityBalance confidentiality with need, at times, to reveal some informationKnow when to inform leaders of certain information

Candid

Provide candid adviceFully share your knowledgeHelp legislators make good decisionsMay have to be candid even when you are not asked for input

Objective

Provide objective advice, information and alternatives to legislatorsProvide advice independent of personal beliefs or interestsAvoid activities that conflict with objectivity or the appearance of objectivity

Competent

Acquire and maintain necessary knowledge and skills Recognize when you need help from othersBe honest about extent of your expertiseContinue to learn

Diligent

Give a hard-working effort on each task Use time productively and efficientlyComplete work in a timely fashionInform legislators of reasonable expectations

Fair

Treat all legislators with equal respect Provide equal quality work for all legislators to whom responsibleDon’t diminish effort because of legislator’s political or religious beliefs, race, etc.

Respect

Treat all colleagues with respect Understand the pressures of their work and difficulties of their obligationsPractice consideration

Supportive

Support the efforts of fellow staff membersBe willing to work as part of a teamDon’t seek to harm another’s reputation even when working opposites sides of an issue

Courtesy

Treat members of the public with courtesyRespect the need for those outside the legislature to have informationProvide help even when you don’t have information they are seeking

Law abiding

Obey the lawEncourage lawfulness in the legislative processPursue appropriate channels if you have knowledge of unlawful activities

Wrap-upGuidance comes from:

Learning on the jobGetting advice from supervisors and colleaguesPlanning for typical tension areasLearning laws, rules and policiesUnderstanding applicable codes of conductAdhering to your personal and professional values and beliefs

Wrap-up

Making ethical decisions:What are we looking for here?Your own perceptions of one another, note the different points of emphasisStrike zone analogyBill drafting analogyMix of uniformity and individual application