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Civil Rights for Civil Servants
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Court Double Freezes Layoffs at Certain Parts of HHS
Federal employees across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received unexpected news this week. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting planned reduc...
Announcement: We're Hiring Remote Federal Employment Attorneys!
Southworth PC is expanding. As a boutique law firm dedicated solely to defending federal employees when agencies violate their rights, we’ve made a strategic choice: while federal ...
Supreme Court RIF Decision: Tools for Federal Employees Facing Uncertainty
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether nationwide injunctions blocking reductions in force (RIFs) will remain or fall. This means within hours, you may learn your positio...
Court Blocks Executive Order Targeting Federal Unions
A significant legal development is offering breathing room for thousands of federal workers: a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting parts of an executive order...
How Federal Hearings Really Work: A Look Behind the Curtain
Most federal employees never see the inside of a hearing room—virtual or otherwise—until their own job is on the line. And when they do, the experience can feel overwhelming: thous...
Congress May Grant Sweeping Powers to Restructure Federal Agencies
Buried in the latest Senate reconciliation bill is a proposal that could profoundly alter the federal civil service. The Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 would revive executive ...
OPM’s New Directive Reshapes Federal Performance Evaluations
On June 17, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued an 18-page memorandum that redefines the performance appraisal landscape for all federal employees. Among the swee...
Supreme Court RIF Case: What Two Bipartisan Briefs Reveal
While federal employees await the Supreme Court’s decision on the nationwide RIF injunction, two strikingly aligned amicus briefs have emerged—one from Reagan-Bush era conservative...
New 5-Day Suitability Rule Could Fast-Track Federal Removals
A March 2025 OPM memo and a June 3 draft rule introduce a drastic shift: federal employees—even career SES and veterans—can now be declared "unsuitable" and removed within five bus...
SCOTUS RIF Ruling Could Trigger Massive Federal Layoffs
Federal employees across agencies—from the IRS to HHS—are awaiting a pivotal Supreme Court decision that could either trigger or prevent the largest wave of federal layoffs in mode...
Proposed Bill Threatens Civil Service Protections
Congress is advancing legislation that, if passed, could drastically reshape federal employment as we know it. Tucked deep inside the sprawling proposal are two provisions—Sections...
Federal Judge Warns State and HUD: RIF Violations May Trigger Contempt
For federal employees watching the ongoing Reduction in Force (RIF) litigation, the latest courtroom developments offer both reassurance and reason for vigilance. While the central...
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