The Advocacy Institute, a US-based global organization, is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of political, social, and economic justice advocates to influence and change public policy.

The Advocacy Institute did not initiate any aspect of the Assist program, and does not advocate or coordinate any lobbying activity through the program.

Indeed, Ralph Nader complained recently, "How come the Advocacy Institute doesn't advocate anything?"

"It's the wave of the future," said Phillip Wilbur, a director of the Advocacy Institute, a public policy and health advocacy group.

In three years the Advocacy Institute has counseled, free of charge, 50 citizen groups and lobbyists.

"This is an important piece of consumer information," said George Hacker, director of alcohol programs for the Advocacy Institute, a consumer group in Washington.

According to the Advocacy Institute, a Washington group that works closely with anti-smoking advocates, an extra $2 a pack would generate close to $40 billion next year.

Between August 1989 and December 1992, Hacker directed alcohol programs at the Washington-based public interest support center, the Advocacy Institute.

From 1977 to 1979, he also taught trial practice and techniques, evidence and civil procedure in Attorney General's Advocacy Institute.

Meanwhile, Robert Fellmeth moved over into the child advocacy subject area with the Children's Advocacy Institute.