JAMES O'NEILL

H.R. 8818, the American Privacy Rights Act Analyzed federal laws/regulations related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data security, digital/personal privacy, intellectual property, in addition to to ensure they did not seek to harm or regulate the legal profession, such as by undermining the attorney-client privilege, the lawyers ethical duty to protect client confidentiality, the work product doctrine, and do not limit the ability to access the justice system and counsel.

H.R.10545 - American Relief Act (continuing resolution) - delaying a proposal to extend the January 1, 2025 deadline for more than 30 million existing small businesses to file their initial beneficial ownership information reports with FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act. S.4638,H.R. 8070, FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act - draft amendment regulating certain attorneys and law firms as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act and requiring them to report certain attorney-client privileged and other protected client information to the Treasury Department. S. 4638 and H.R. 8070, FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act-Amendment No. 2169 sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) extending several deadlines for companies to report and update beneficial ownership information to the Treasury Department under the Corporate Transparency Act H.R. 5119 and S. 3625, Protect Small Business and Prevent Illicit Financial Activity Act H.R. 9278, legislation providing small business concerns an additional year to report their beneficial ownership information to the Treasury Department under the Corporate Transparency Act H.R. 7947, Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act H.R. 10445, Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025-Section 122 extending the deadline for companies formed before January 1, 2024 to submit their initial beneficial ownership reports to the Treasury Department under the Corporate Transparency Act until January 1, 2026. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Statement of Policy Regarding Prohibition on Abusive Acts or Practices; Docket No CFPB-2023-0018; 88 Fed. Reg. 21883 (April 12, 2023)-provisions that could require creditor attorneys and law firms to act in the interests of consumers instead of their creditor clients in violation of the attorneys' existing ethical obligations or that would conflict with other existing state court ethical obligations. Draft resolution to nullify the Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers; Document No. 2024-19198; RIN 1506-AB54, 89 Fed. Reg. 70258 (August 29, 2024) under the Congressional Review Act Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Rule on Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers; Document No. 2024-19198; RIN 1506-AB54, 89 Fed. Reg. 70258 (August 29, 2024) Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Beneficial Ownership Information Access and Safeguards; Document No. 2023-27973; RIN 1506-AB59, 88 Fed. Reg. 88732 (December 22, 2023) Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements; Document No. 2022-21020; RIN 1506-AB49, 87 Fed. Reg. 59498 (September 30, 2022). Financial Action Task Force Public Consultation Paper, Proposed Updates to Risk-Based Guidance to the Real Estate Sector-provisions requiring attorneys to submit suspicious transaction reports on their clients high-risk real estate transactions even when the information is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Financial Action Task Force White Paper for Public Consultation, Potential Amendments to Recommendation 24 (Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons)-provisions considering requiring attorneys to hold their company clients' beneficial ownership information and disclose it to government authorities.

S. 4636, National Defense Authorization Act for FY2025 and other legislation - opposing provisions mandating that attorneys married to active duty U.S. servicemembers be automatically admitted to practice law in the state where the servicemember has been stationed, as it undermines state based judicial regulation of the legal profession.

S. 5229 - Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act H.R. 927, S. 325 - Supreme Court Ethics Act H.R. 926, S. 359 - Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 H. Res. 314 - Territorial Incorporation Doctrine Support for authorizing new federal judgeships. Judicial Security - efforts to expand judicial security protection to Administrative Law Judges. Support the original intent of H.R.9278 to extend the current deadline for millions of existing small businesses to file their initial beneficial ownership reports required under the Corporate Transparency Act for one year to January 1, 2026. Oppose efforts by Congress, such as the provision contained in S.4638, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, to regulate the practice of law by mandating that attorneys married to an active duty servicemembers in the armed forces be automatically admitted to practice law in the state where the servicemember has been stationed. This would undermine the longstanding principle and doctrine supported by the ABA which believes state supreme courts have the power of licensure. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Duty of Candor; Docket No. RM22-20-000, 87 Fed. Reg. 49784 (August 12, 2022)-provisions regulating certain attorneys engaged in the practice of law and requiring them to disclose certain attorney-client privileged and other protected client information. Model Rules of Representative Conduct developed by an Administrative Conference of the United States working group that, if adopted by individual federal agencies, would regulate the conduct of attorneys and non-attorneys who represent parties and other interested persons in administrative adjudicative proceedings before those agencies. Administrative Conference of the United States study on Regulation of Representatives in Agency Proceedings to explore how federal agencies regulate the conduct of attorneys and non-attorneys who represent parties and other interested persons in administrative adjudicative proceedings, and related best practices for federal agencies. Proposed Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel legal opinion further clarifying the ability of government attorneys and other employees to participate more fully in outside organizations, including legal professional associations. Revised Department of Justice ethics guidance (Representations Before the Government) further clarifying the ability of government attorneys and other employees to participate more fully in outside organizations, including legal professional associations.

Support supplemental disaster relief funding for legal services. FY2025 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations - funding for the Legal Services Corporation; funding for the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review's Legal Orientation Program. FY2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations - funding for democracy, human rights, and rule of law programs. H.R. 8773, S. 4928, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2025, and other appropriations bills - provisions relating to funding for the Internal Revenue Service.

Draft legislation making it easier for spouses of U.S. servicemembers to practice law in the jurisdictions to which they move without undue delay or burden.

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION