U.S. Capitol buildingNavigating federal lobbying gift regulations can be a complex and, if mistakes are made, dangerous endeavor. In an effort to curb confusion, law firm Wiley Rein has released a smartphone app that summarizes federal government and executive branch gift-giving regulations and exemptions.
Over the course of a year, Wiley Rein’s election law and government ethics practice group teamed up with app developer Pick Factor Inc. to create Gift Rules Assistant, the firm’s first mobile app, which offered free via Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
Gift Rules Assistant provides a 15-question quiz to test users’ knowledge of federal gift rules, news about changes to gift-giving rules and regulations, and the firm’s contact information.
Wiley Rein partner and election law and government ethics group member D. Mark Renaud said the app is intended for members of Congress, congressional staff and federal lobbyists to help them identify rules governing the exchange of gifts.
Renaud, who led the development of the app, added that creating an app about election laws was a no-brainer for the firm.
“This is what we do, we advise people about federal and local ethics every day,” he said, also adding, “it’s a natural product for our election law and government ethics practice group to create.”
Renaud called the app a modern “equivalent of a pocket Constitution.” He explained, “We wanted people to digest something that can be a complex topic. … It’s been over 10 years since Congress amended its gift rules, but that doesn’t make gift rules less important.”
The Gift Rules Assistant was officially released last week, nearly 14 months before the next U.S. presidential election. However, Renaud said the app wasn’t released because of the upcoming elections, but he did say gift exchanges in Congress may increase during a presidential election season.
“The more touches you have with congressional officers, in their office, out their office, etc., the more chances you may have for a gift-giving situation, and sometimes you shouldn’t be giving those gifts,” Renaud said.
He added that putting the gift-giving regulations and rules in a smartphone app was ideal because so many people already carry a lot of information in their phones.
With this app, Wiley Rein joins a host of other law firms that developed legal technology to assist clients through complicated matters, from immigration law to regulatory compliance. Could the legal industry become a tech innovator that outpaces other industries with its technologically advancements? Not quite, Renaud said.
“I don’t think law firms are ever going to lead the pack,” Renaud said. “But to connect with consumers of legal work from their phones, who are more adept at different technological innovations, I think law firms will be there to make sure they are remembered as the expert in the area.”
While Gift Rules Assistant is the firm’s first app, it isn’t the firm’s first foray in merging their lawyers’ legal expertise with technology. Renaud noted the firm has an election law podcast, newsletter alerts and a client-only portal on state and local gift rules. He said the efforts help solidify the firm’s place as a go-to for election law and if new clients follow, that’s an added bonus.
“We think putting our brand out there behind a helpful product is good for business, and if [a question arises] they know who they can come to,” Renaud said.