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Asked whether relying on contacts he makes as a state lawmaker to drum up business for his firm presents other conflicts, Steube said, "I haven't brought a single client into the firm because of my position." Being in the Legislature simply gives him "the opportunity to meet a lot of business leaders in the community and my firm can service all of those needs," Steube said.

As for potential conflicts created by his firm's lobbying practice, Steube said, "There are rules in place" to address them. He said he doesn't communicate with his firm's lobbyists about legislative issues.

"I know who in our firm does government work but I couldn't even tell you who their clients are," he said.

Disclosures

State law requires lawmakers to publicly disclose when they have a conflict of interest and abstain from voting on legislation that would "inure to his or her special private gain or loss." House and Senate rules are also touch on conflict of interest issues. Some argue this is sufficient to remove any conflict that may arise from a legislator working for a firm that lobbies the Legislature.

That was the argument made by some members of a Florida Bar committee recently after they shot down Gallen's request to reinstate the ethics opinion on lawyer/legislators working for lobbying firms.

Gallen, the Bradenton judge and former Democratic state lawmaker, had been petitioning the Bar to consider the issue for more than a year. In December, he went before a Bar committee that advises the full board of governors on ethics. With little discussion or debate, the committee voted unanimously to take no action on the issue.

"I appreciate Judge Gallen raising these issues but they've been addressed in multiple ways under Florida law and under current existing legislative rules," said Garry Lesser, a West Palm Beach attorney who made the motion to take no action on Gallen's request.

Gallen sees it differently. He served in the Legislature from 1966 to 1978 and knows from experience that there are many ways to kill legislation or help it advance without actually voting on it.

Lawmakers regularly work to convince each other behind the scenes. Committee leaders can kill legislation simply by not bringing it up for a vote.

"I was rules chairman," Gallen said, referring to his former position leading one of the House's most powerful committees. "I made the decisions over which bills were heard and which bills were not. If my law firm was lobbying, what a conflict I would've had. I think it's unconscionable."