His senior law school thesis evolved into the debut hardcover publication by the libertarian
Cato Institute in 1980,
Social Security: The Inherent Contradiction. He also became an insurance consultant and provided expertise in Social Security to media. In 1987, Ferrara joined the faculty of the
George Mason University School of Law and directed its legal writing programs until 1991. As late as 2003, Ferrara has taught there. As a writer, Ferrara's employers included erstwhile
lobbyist and convicted felon,
Jack Abramoff, who hired Ferrara to write
op-ed pieces favorable to Abramoff clients. Ferrara doesn't disclose which pieces he is paid to write, but according to a
Business Week article, the specific pieces may have been articles in
The Washington Times about the
Northern Marianas Islands and The
Choctaw Indian tribe. Ferrara stated that those writings reflect his independently held views on the respective subjects. "I do that all the time. I've done that in the past, and I'll do it in the future." Ferrara was tied to Abramoff again in 2020 in connection with AML Bitcoin after the FBI charged Abramoff with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and violating the Lobbying Disclosure Act. Ferrara wrote op-eds in favor of AML Bitcoin that were placed in
The American Spectator,
Investor’s Business Daily, and
The Washington Times. Ferrara was a senior policy adviser at the Institute for Policy Innovation. In April 2011, Ferrara became senior fellow for entitlement and budget policy at
The Heartland Institute. He served concurrently as general counsel for the
American Civil Rights Union and policy director of the Carleson Center for Welfare Reform. He was a member of the District of Columbia Bar but is now on inactive status. Ferrara's articles have been published in such outlets as
National Review,
The American Spectator, and
FoxNews.com. He is a regular guest on the
Thom Hartmann radio program. ==Viewpoints==