RIAA lobbyist becomes federal judge, rules on file-sharing cases

Judges in Texas, West Virginia, and Illinois had all ruled recently that such lawsuits were defective in various ways, but Howell gave her cases the green light; attorneys could use the federal courts to sue thousands of people at once and then issue mass subpoenas to Internet providers.

Between 2004-2009, Howell was the only listed lobbyist at the firm; the RIAA was her exclusive lobbying client for most of that time.

Howell's case is only one specific example of a much larger issue, one that always revolves around people working for corporations, entering government to make law or policy relating to those corporations, and then returning to private life.