As used in this part the term:

(a) Department includes any bureau, office, or other unit of the Department of the Interior, whether in Washington, DC, or in the field, and any officer or employee thereof;

(b) Solicitor means the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior or his authorized representative;

(c) Practice includes any action taken to support or oppose the assertion of a right before the Department or to support or oppose a request that the Department grant a privilege; and the term “practice” includes any such action whether it relates to the substance of, or to the procedural aspects of handling, a particular matter. The term “practice” does not include the preparation or filing of an application, the filing without comment of documents prepared by one other than the individual making the filing, obtaining from the Department information that is available to the public generally, or the making of inquiries respecting the status of a matter pending before the Department. Also, the term “practice” does not include the representation of an employee who is the subject of disciplinary, loyalty, or other personnel administrative proceedings.