When Congress finally passes climate change legislation, the landmark bill will have been shaped in important ways by a cadre of lawyers working together to advance the interests of their clients,rnwhether in industry, state government, or public interest organizations, largely behind the scenes. To be successful, these attorneys need to convince committee staff and key members of Congress that the environmental objectives of the bill can be aligned with the interests of their clients, which is not always obvious, and that the resulting legislation will function better. This spring, shortly after the House Energy and Commerce Committee reported to the floor the American Clean Energy and Security Act - known for its key sponsors, Henry Waxman (D-California) and Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) - one of those lawyers paused for a time out from his busy schedule to describe what the head of one of the country's few law firm climate change practices does for a living.
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