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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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The Fed Legal Help Insider — Coming Soon!
I know it’s been a tough stretch for a lot of folks across the federal community, but Lydia and I have been working on something we’re really excited to share.
We’ve been quietly ...
Shutdown RIFs and the Human Cost of Uncertainty
The latest shutdown-related Reduction in Force (RIF) filings put names, faces, and fears on record—reminders that behind every “cost-saving measure” are human beings who have serve...
Federal Shutdown 2025: Survival Steps and Legal Protections
Roughly 1.4 million federal employees have now missed a full paycheck. About half are furloughed; the rest are “excepted,” required to work without pay. The strain isn’t theoretica...
Supporting Federal Employees Through the Shutdown: A Resource Guide from Southworth PC
At Southworth PC, our mission is clear: protect the rights and careers of federal employees. As the government funding lapse continues—affecting paychecks, benefits, mission-critic...
Intentional Calm: Two Daily Habits to Steady Federal Workdays
For federal employees facing furloughs or ongoing instability, the sense of control can vanish overnight. One powerful way to regain balance is through intention—using deliberate, ...
Can the President Order Military Strikes on Drug Boats?
Since early September, reports have surfaced of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The White House has justified the acti...
Carrying Federal Employees’ Voices to Capitol Hill
The best part of my job has always been simple to name and hard to describe: standing up for the people who stand up for America. Federal service is a quiet kind of courage—steady,...
Shutdown Negotiations Resume: What Federal Workers Need to Know
There’s finally a hint of movement in Washington. As of Friday, October 24, 2025, two competing Senate bills—one from Senator Ron Johnson to pay “excepted” employees and the milita...
EEOC Lawsuit Tests Limits of Executive Power on Discrimination Cases
Federal employees, here’s why you should care about a new lawsuit against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In September, the EEOC quietly instructed its offices ...
Court Filings Seek Full Injunction to Halt Shutdown RIFs
Federal employees, the plaintiffs in the shutdown-RIF lawsuit are now asking the court to extend its temporary restraining order (TRO) into a Preliminary Injunction—a longer-term s...
Shutdown RIF Case: Court Expands Federal Worker Protections
Federal employees across agencies remain protected under Judge Susan Illston’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which continues to block all shutdown-related Reduction in Force (...
Department of Defense vs. Department of War: What the Law Actually Says
If you’ve seen talk of “restoring the Department of War,” you’re not imagining it—but the legal reality is simpler than the headlines. Under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, the Departmen...
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Shaun Southworth & Lydia Taylor
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