New rules on lobbying have been announced for those working on President-elect Barack Obama's transition team. For example, lobbyists can serve in the transition as long as their activities do not involve areas of policy they have tried to influence in the past year. Federal lobbyists will be prohibited from any lobbying while they are at work on the transition. The rules also prohibit people from lobbying the Obama administration for a year on any matters in which they worked while on the transition team. And the New York Times details that lobbyists will not be allowed to help "pay the costs of his transition to power or working for it in any area in which they have represented clients in the last year." The transition team is also implementing a gift ban similar to what now exists in Congress. To read the new rules that detail how lobbyists can participate in the transition, click here. CNN reports that Chai Feldblum, a Georgetown University professor, "said nonprofit groups are likely to have a stronger voice under the restrictions that Obama's transition staff issued this week. 'I think that lobbyists for a broader range of the American public -- lobbyists for Catholic Charities USA, lobbyists for the Epilepsy Foundation, lobbyists for domestic violence groups -- people trying to bring those positions forward will have an easier time being heard,' Feldblum said."