Venable senior partner Ben Civiletti was featured in National Public Radio's (NPR) April 8, 2011 All Things Considered show. The show focused on Civiletti's role in pointing out to Jimmy Carter, in 1980, that a government can't operate until Congress agrees on spending. In the three decades prior to Carter's administration, the government continued to operate even if a spending bill hadn't been approved on time.
A professor at the University of Baltimore Law School said, "Attorney General Civiletti let the genie out of the bottle."
The show noted that Civiletti wrote two opinions. The first addressed a funding gap for the Federal Trade Commission. The second, written less than a year later, noted exceptions for some government activities such as those that protect life and property.
A professor at the University of Baltimore Law School said, "Attorney General Civiletti let the genie out of the bottle."
The show noted that Civiletti wrote two opinions. The first addressed a funding gap for the Federal Trade Commission. The second, written less than a year later, noted exceptions for some government activities such as those that protect life and property.