Advocacy and lobbying stories from this week's National Journal: (subscription)

• Bank Of America Lawyers Up: A swarm of federal and state probes into disputes about Bank of America's takeover of Merrill Lynch last year has put the mega-bank in the media spotlight. It has also fueled a bonanza for Washington and New York City law firms that have strong white-collar criminal practices.
• New Helmsman, Heavy Seas At NAB:During his 12 years in the Senate, Oregon Republican Gordon Smith earned a reputation as a bridge-builder, team player, and nice guy. Now he hopes to bring that spirit of camaraderie to the National Association of Broadcasters, one of Washington's most powerful and fractious trade groups.
• From On The Move:The Environmental Working Group has lured Heather White back to serve as chief of staff and general counsel. White, 36, comes over from the National Wildlife Federation, but she first joined the working group after a stint on Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Another new hire at the Environmental Working Group is Nils Bruzelius, 62, who will be the group's executive editor. Formerly a deputy national editor for science at The Washington Post, he joined the newspaper in 2002 and recently took a buyout.