The late Clark Clifford, advisor to US Presidents and legendaryWashington attorney, was famed for warning new clients interested in legal representation before the executive branch and its agencies that he had no “influence.”1 Clifford claimed only to possess the expertise of someone intimately familiar with the workings of the US government, which allowed him to instruct clients on how best to place their views and needs before administrative agencies and executive branch departments. Clifford’s caveat has struck many as implausible, even ridiculous, because he clearly offered more than sound legal argumentation: a wealth of “insider” contacts with government officials at all levels, and a reputation that preceded him
