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Civil Rights for Civil Servants
Hear Shaun Southworth and Lydia Taylor explain federal employee rights, public service, workplace systems, and the people navigating them.
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When a Federal Employee Is Labeled Before the Facts
The death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis this weekend has shaken many federal employees—not only because of the violence itself, but because of what followed. Mr. Pretti was...
The #1 Legal Mistake Federal Employees Make in Discipline Cases
After more than twenty thousand hours representing federal employees, one mistake stands out above all others: trying to face a disciplinary proposal alone. Agencies have trained a...
Court Rules Trump’s IG Firings Were Unlawful
A federal judge recently found that former President Trump unlawfully removed 17 Inspectors General (IGs). By law, the President must give Congress 30 days’ notice and provide a sp...
Judge Rules OPM’s Mass Probationary Firings Illegal
Earlier this year, thousands of probationary federal employees were swept out of service under a government-wide directive. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had ordered age...
Due Process Prevails in Lisa Cook Case
Last night, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals made headlines by blocking the administration’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. For federal employees, this case...
Fifth Circuit Blocks Trump’s Use of Alien Enemies Act
In a striking decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals—one of the nation’s most conservative courts—ruled that President Trump could not use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to de...
Why Lisa Cook’s Case Matters for Every Federal Employee
When President Trump announced he was firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, it looked at first like another political flashpoint. But for federal employees, this lawsuit carri...
OPM Just Killed the “Five Things” Email. Here’s Why That Matters.
For months, federal employees were trapped in a Sunday-night ritual: condensing their entire workweek into five bullet points for leadership’s inbox. Born from a top-down directive...
Surprise RIFs by Email: What Federal Employees Must Know
Imagine logging off for the day—only to find an email notifying you that you've been separated from federal service, effective immediately. No warning. No exit ramp. If this scenar...
OPM’s Suitability Rule Could Gut Due Process Rights
OPM has proposed a major rule change that would allow agencies to remove current federal employees under the same "suitability" standards originally designed for applicants. Histor...
Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Misuse of Alien Enemies Act
A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas just issued a ruling that’s making legal waves—and not for the reason you might expect. Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., appointed by...
House Bill Threatens Federal Pensions and Due Process
Late last night, a House committee advanced legislation that could drastically change the financial future of federal employees. The bill—pitched as a $50 billion cost-cutting meas...
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