About This Training
Safeguarding constituents’ First Amendment right to petition the government for redress from grievances is what caseworkers do — but how much is casework actually enshrined in law, and what does that mean for how far caseworkers can push agency contacts? We’ll be joined by Dave Rapallo, former Staff Director of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and current Federal Legislation Clinic Director at Georgetown, for a discussion of how oversight powers have evolved, practical strategies for dealing with unresponsive agencies, and how to work with committee staff to escalate casework trends to formal oversight.
This online webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 18, at 1 PM ET. Registration is free.
Speaker
Dave Rapallo is an Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown Law and is the Director of the Federal Legislation Clinic. He joined the faculty as Clinic Director after spending 23 years in high-level positions in Congress and the White House. Before coming to Georgetown, Dave served for ten years as Staff Director of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform under then-Chairman Elijah E. Cummings. He supervised a team of more than 70 attorneys, investigators, legislative experts, and communications staff, as well as the Committee’s five subcommittees, and oversaw a broad range of legislative efforts. During President Barack Obama’s first term, Dave served as Senior Director and Counsel for Legislative Oversight at the National Security Council, working directly with the offices of the Chief of Staff, White House Counsel, and Legislative Affairs. Dave previously served as General Counsel on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and as Chief Investigative Counsel on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under then-Chairman Henry A. Waxman. Dave has served on or advised several special committees, including those investigating the events of Hurricane Katrina, the attacks in Benghazi, and the coronavirus pandemic, and he served on the House of Representatives’ team during the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Dave also served as one of the Clinic’s first Teaching Fellows in the 1990s under the Clinic’s founder, Chai Feldblum.
Moderator
Anne Meeker is Managing Director of POPVOX Foundation, and a former House casework director. She was a founding member of the POPVOX Foundation team as Director of Special Initiatives, and leads the Foundation’s work on constituent-legislator engagement, including the Casework Navigator program and the Voice/Mail newsletter. She previously served as a Fellow with OSU’s Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability, and as Director of Constituent Services for Congressman Seth Moulton. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Oxford (St. Hugh’s College), and an MSc in History from the London School of Economics. She is also a proud Clevelander, and will take any opportunity to talk up the Rust Belt
About Casework Navigator
Casework is a mission-critical component of Congressional service, building constituent trust and strengthening Congress’s Article One responsibility to provide oversight on Executive Branch agencies. The Casework Navigator program develops resources to support Congressional caseworkers, and explores the changing role of casework in legislative function. Through the Navigator program, Congressional staff can access regular webinars, workshops, resources, and research on the state of casework today, and the future of constituent service in a landscape of rapidly-evolving technology and expectations of government.
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization with a mission to help democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Through publications, events, prototypes, and technical assistance, the organization helps public servants and elected officials better serve their constituents and make better policy.
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