BRIEFS RISING STARS SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING THE BLOGOSPHERE HOW ADAM BONIN SAFEGUARDED BLOGS FROM CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW BY AMY KATES When the Federal Election Commission Soon, though, Bonin was Landing clients (FEC) announced in 2005 that it was outside of the blogosphere. "Local PACs, going to determine standards for applying local candidates whom I worked with on a campaign finance law to the Internet, Adam variety of campaign finance and election Bonin had a hunch. "The bloggers could be law matters.... Daily Kos became a paying screwed by this," he says. ''.1ust screwed!' client as they grew," he says. Bonin learned about the importance of the As the niche practice grew, it became Internet as a campaign tool while working on clear that his work was incompatible with Joe Hoeffel's U.S. Senate bid in 2004. When Cozen. "There were business conflicts a friend of his, Philadelphia blogger Duncan that quite understandably came into Black of Eschaton blog, realized how he and play, which restricted my ability to add other political bloggers would be affected particular clients," Bonin says. "But I by the new rules, he helped recruit fellow didn't want to be a political lawyer who bloggers Markos Moulitsas ZOniga, founder wasn't practicing political law." So Cozen, of Daily Kos, and Matt Stoller (MyDD.com ) to whom he lauds for its entrepreneurial the cause. Bonin represented all three pro spirit and support, struck him a sweet bono before the FEC. deal: leave the firm but become a tenant, "There was language in early drafts of and retain clients on campaign finance, the rulemaking that would have forced all lobbying and related work. bloggers involved in politics, and certainly Officially a solo act as of January 2012, those involved in fundraising, to register with business is good. "I don't think that I've the federal government as political action had a typical day yet, especially right now, committees, to disclose all of their activities in the middle of election season," Bonin to comply with record-keeping requirements says. Although he's tight-lipped about ... some really outlandish, excessive stuff," his clients, he says a lot of his workload is Bonin says. "We maintained that the proper advising them about ballot access issues. way to treat bloggers under the law was the He also works in political compliance; same as how traditional media were already federal, state and local campaign finance treated, which is that when a newspaper law; pay-to-play laws; and federal, state runs an editorial on behalf of a candidate and local lobbying laws. or when a radio talk show host encourages Bonin, a prolific political blogger in his fundraising on behalf of a candidate, that's own right—he sits on Daily Kos' masthead exempt from campaign finance law." as a contributing writer and serves as Bonin, who's been a political junkie ever its general counsel of litigation—has no since "the only way to get political news aspirations to run for office. But if he does, was the thump of The Philadelphia Inquirer he might have one serious VIP in his corner. landing at the door," hoped the case "Once he was just the guy teaching would help raise his profile in the political election law," Bonin says of Professor legal arena—an area he wanted to add to Barack Obama, whom he cites as an his 9/11 litigation and other commercial "engaged, smart teacher with a quick, litigation work at Cozen O'Connor. "I was sharp, sarcastic sense of humor." Bonin hoping to be able to market myself as an took two classes with Obama. "I did B+ expert," he says. level work," Bonin says. "I wasn't his Turns out he marketed himself too well. favorite, although I saw him in 2004 when "We had won So thoroughly that there he came to Philadelphia to campaign wasn't much left for me to do as a lawyer," for Hoeffel and in 2007 when he started he says with a laugh. "There weren't going his presidential campaign, and he to be ctients who needed me to navigate remembered me both times." El this space because the rules were clear and [ologgers] were exempt." 8 SUPERLAWYERS.COM ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PACE 28. .