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Shaun Southworth leading a federal employment training session with members of the Southworth PC team
 

Alleged DEI “Purges” and What Fell v. Trump Means for Federal Employees

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A new class action, Fell v. Trump, alleges something no federal employee should take lightly: that the administration directed agencies to identify, isolate, and remove anyone link...

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Presidential Power vs. Civil Rights: What Nemer v. Bondi Means for Federal Employees

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A new lawsuit—Nemer v. Bondi—is raising a question most federal employees never thought they’d have to ask: Can a President legally fire you even if the motive is discriminatory? T...

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Two-Year Probation? What the EQUALS Act Could Mean for Federal Employees

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Congress just moved a significant step closer to reshaping how long new federal employees must work before gaining full MSPB appeal rights. The EQUALS Act, which passed the House O...

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RIF During a Congressional Freeze: What Federal Employees Need to Know

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When Congress passes a continuing resolution (CR) that prohibits agencies from initiating, carrying out, implementing, or even noticing a reduction in force, most federal employees...

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When Disability Accommodations Stall: Your Rights Under the Rehab Act

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For many federal employees, “Your accommodation is pending—come in or burn leave” has become an unwelcome refrain. With reporting that CDC has over 3,300 requests stuck in limbo as...

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Why “Minor” Discipline Isn’t Minor for Federal Employees

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For many federal employees returning from Thanksgiving with a knot in the stomach about what their agency might do next, that feeling is not misplaced. Small shifts in the discipli...

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Three Workforce Bills Every Federal Employee Should Be Watching

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When Congress marks up workforce legislation, federal employees often hear about it only after the rules have already shifted. Today’s House Oversight Committee session is a remind...

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Unlawful Orders in Federal Service: What You Need to Know

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When a headline suggests the Pentagon may have crossed the line into a war crime, the instinctive reaction many federal employees feel isn’t just shock — it’s recognition. Because ...

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Kalkines Warnings After Shows v. Treasury: What Feds Must Know

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When a headline suggests the Pentagon may have crossed the line into a war crime, the instinctive reaction many federal employees feel isn’t just shock — it’s recognition. Because ...

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Public Support for Federal Workers Amid Agency Cuts

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Federal employees often move through the year feeling unseen, especially after events like shutdowns, staffing losses, or politically driven restructuring. When programs shrink and...

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Gratitude as a Legal and Mental Clarity Tool for Federal Employees

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Federal employees have spent the year navigating unprecedented disruption: DOGE rollouts, chaotic reorganizations, and constant uncertainty about missions, staffing, and the future...

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Here's What I Would Tell DOGE If It Had an Exit Interview

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Federal employees have spent the last year living inside a case study of what happens when political ambition outruns legal authority. The Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE—...

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About the people behind the work

Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor

Meet the federal employment attorneys behind this public-education work and the podcast Civil Rights for Civil Servants.

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