Robert F. Bauer is a partner in the law firm Perkins Coie and Chair of its Political Law Group. A 1976 graduate of the University of Virginia's School of Law, Bob's practice includes the representation of national and state parties, independent political committees, federal elected officials, corporations and trade associations, and tax-exempt groups on matters involving regulation of political activity. Among other representations, Bob has served as Co-Counsel to the New Hampshire State Senate in the Trial of Chief Justice David A. Brock (2000); General Counsel to the Bill Bradley for President Committee (1999-2000); and Counsel to the Democratic Leader in the Trial of President William Jefferson Clinton (1999). At present, he is General Counsel to the Obama Presidential campaign.

Bob writes about developments in campaign finance and political law on his web log, www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com. In addition to the website, his recent publications and presentations include: "Observing the Restricted Speech Zone, (co-authored with Michael Toner) Roll Call (Sept. 26, 2006); "Creating Space for Speech on the Issues," (co-authored with Laurence Gold) Roll Call (Aug. 14, 2006); "More Money, More Rules" (co-authored with Jan Baran) New York Times (Aug. 8, 2006); "A Report from the Field: Campaign Professionals on the First Election Cycle under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act," 5 Election L. J. 105 (2006); "Not Just a Private Matter: The Purposes of Disclosure in an Expanded Regulatory System," presented at the Midwest Political Science Association National Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr. 20-23, 2006; "Democracy as Problem Solving: Campaign Finance and Justice Breyer's Theory of 'Active Liberty'," 60 U. Miami L. Rev 237 (2006); "The McCain-Feingold Coordination Rules: The Ongoing Program to Keep Politics under Control," 32 Fordham Urb. L J 507 (2005); "McConnell, Parties and the Decline of the Right of Association," 3 Election L.J. 199 (2004); "When the ‘Pols Make the Calls’: McConnell’s Theory of Judicial Deference in the Twilight of Buckley," 153 U. Penn. L. Rev. 5 (2004); "Undercutting Overbreadth: A Reply to Professor Foley, 3 Election L.J. 3 (2004); More Soft Money Hard Law: The Second Edition of the Guide to the New Campaign Finance Law (2002); "In the Line of Fire: Liability of Federal Candidates and Officeholders Under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002," 1 Election L J. 531 (2002); and "Thoughts on the Democratic Basis for Restrictions on Judicial Campaign Speech," 35 Ind. L. Rev. 747 (2002).

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