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A lobby can be:
The former term led to the latter term, as those trying to change the laws often gather in the lobby of a capitol, to catch legislators as they come and go about their business.
(Ed. note: The first use of "lobbyist" has been attributed to a U.S. president, sometime around 1837. It seems impossible to find any info to confirm or refute this however. Can anyone else find anything on this?)