Author: TSA Press

As
the
end
of
2024
approaches,
I
find
myself
reflecting
on
the
year
that
has
been.
This
past
year
has
been
unique
for
me
not
because
of
any
extraordinary
achievements
or
career-defining
moments.
The
year
has
been
unique
because
I
have
done
something
I
have
never
allowed
myself
to
do
before.
I
made
a
conscious
decision
to
take
a
pause
and
just
be
present.

As
lawyers
—
especially
those
of
us
in-house
—
the
pressure
to
do
more
and
to
prove
our
value
by
how
busy
we
are
is
often
present.
Meetings,
emails,
reports,
crisis
management
—
it
can
feel
endless.
But
this
year,
I
realized
that
I
don’t
always
have
to
hustle.
I
don’t
have
to
be
busy
for
the
sake
of
being
busy.
I
don’t
have
to
accept
every
opportunity
that
comes
my
way
to
write,
to
speak,
to
host,
or
to
moderate.
The
legal
profession,
in
general,
often
rewards
constant
activity
but
is
that
really
the
best
way
to
work?
Or
to
live?

This
year
I
decided
to
stop
buying
into
the
busy
to
be
busy
mindset.
I
stopped
rushing
through
each
task
just
to
get
to
the
next
one.
I
took
time
to
breathe
and
to
appreciate
where
I
am
and
what
I
have.
I
didn’t
just
fill
up
my
after-work
hours
with
“productive”
activities
—
I
made
space
for
the
things
that
really
matter.
That
change
in
mindset
allowed
me
to
spend
more
time
with
my
colleagues,
my
friends,
and
my
family.

• It
  gave
  me
  the
  chance
  to
  support
  colleagues
  (and
  their
  families)
  who
  were
  faced
  with
  personal
  and
  professional
  challenges.
  We
  attended
  events
  together.
  We
  ate
  together.
  We
  were
  present
  for
  each
  other.
• It
  gave
  me
  the
  chance
  to
  get
  to
  reconnect
  and
  spend
  time
  with
  old
  friends
  and
  deepen
  bonds
  with
  new
  friends.
• It
  gave
  me
  the
  chance
  to
  be
  with
  my
  family
  as
  we
  said
  goodbye
  to
  my
  grandmother
  and
  as
  we
  welcomed
  two
  more
  babies
  into
  the
  family.

These
moments
—
the
sad
ones
and
the
happy
ones
—
they
matter.
In
the
legal
profession,
we
are
taught
to
compartmentalize,
to
stay
professional
no
matter
what
and
to
go,
go,
go.
The
problem
is
when
you
are
always
on
the
go,
you
are
constantly
thinking
about
the
next
deadline
and
you
find
yourself
missing
the
important
moments
that
truly
shape
your
life.

Here’s
the
thing
about
those
important
moments
—
they
are
fleeting.
You
never
know
how
long
those
moments
will
last.
This
year
reminded
me
of
the
immense
value
in
simply
being
still,
in
allowing
yourself
to
experience
life
without
the
constant
hum
of
busyness.

2024
wasn’t
about
climbing
the
ladder
or
hitting
new
career
milestones.
It
was
about
living.
It
was
about
stepping
back,
taking
things
in,
and
appreciating
the
here
and
now.
I
didn’t
burn
out
this
year.
Instead,
I
gave
myself
permission
to
simply
be
—
and
it’s
made
all
the
difference.
I’m
grateful
for
the
time
I
spent
with
my
loved
ones
and
for
the
lessons
that
this
quieter
year
has
taught
me:

• I
  have
  learned
  that
  success
  isn’t
  all
  ways
  measured
  in
  productivity
  or
  how
  many
  tasks
  we
  complete.
• I
  have
  learned
  that
  success
  can
  be
  measured
  by
  the
  richness
  of
  the
  relationships
  we
  nurture,
  the
  personal
  growth
  we
  experience,
  and
  the
  balance
  we
  bring
  into
  our
  lives.

The
work
will
always
be
there,
but
the
people
you
love
won’t
be.
The
deadlines
will
come
and
go,
but
the
memories
you
make
—
those
are
the
things
you
will
want
to
hold
on
to.
As
lawyers,
we
do
have
choices.
We
do
not
have
to
live
in
a
perpetual
state
of
hustle.
We
can
find
those
quiet
moments,
and
we
can
embrace
them.
And,
for
that,
I
am
truly
grateful.

Giving
ourselves
permission
to
pause,
reflect,
and
be
present
in
the
moment
is
one
of
the
most
valuable
choices
we
can
make
—
for
our
well-being
and
for
those
we
care
about.

Sometimes,
the
greatest
gift
you
can
give
yourself
is
the
space
to
enjoy
the
journey.

For
this,
I
am
also
grateful.

---

Lisa
Lang
is
an
in-house
lawyer
and
thought
leader
who
is
passionate
about
all
things
in-house. 
She
has
recently
launched
a
website
and
blog
Why
This,
Not
That™
(www.lawyerlisalang.com
)
to
serve
as
a
resource
for
in-house
lawyers. 
You
can
e-mail
her
at




[email protected]


,
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn 
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawyerlisalang/)
or
follow
her
on
Twitter
(@lang_lawyer).

Ever
since
Biglaw
started
bestowing
a

variety
of
bonuses
upon
associates,
we’ve
received
a
slew
of
emails
from
law
firm
support
staff
wondering
what
their
fate
may
be
as
the
Benjamins
continue
to
rain
down
upon
their
colleagues.
After
all,
it
takes
an
army
for
law
firms
this
large
to
run,
and
the
behind-the-scenes
battalions
of
staff
members
deserve
their
due,
too.

Which
firms
have
gone
out
of
their
way
to
show
their
support
staff
that
they
truly
matter?
Which
firms
have
dipped
into
their
pockets
to
say
thank
you
to
their
staff?

This
is
exactly
what
we’d
like
to
know.
If
your
firm
has
offered
bonuses
of
any
kind
to
staff
members,
please
be
sure
to
reach
out
to
us.
We
want
to
know
if
your
firm
is
really
spreading
the
wealth
to
all
employees.

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

X/Twitter
and

Threads
or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn.

---

---

Law
firms
are
facing
more
financial
reporting
demands
than
ever
before.

While
many
consider
new
avenues
to
help
decode
and
present
financial
data,
others
find
the
solutions
as
intimidating
as
the
problem.

This
new
report,
compiled
from
an
Above
the
Law
survey
of
nearly
300
legal
professionals,
explores
the
challenges
law
firms
face
on
their
journey
to
better
BI,
including
the
decision
to
buy
or
build,
deciding
the
right
KPIs
to
measure
firm
and
individual
performance,
tackling
adoption,
and
why
law
firms
have
been
so
slow
to
integrate
BI
into
their
business.

Download
it
to
explore:

• Key
  challenges,
  including
  stakeholder
  buy-in
  and
  KPI
  selection
• Satisfaction
  and
  ROI,
  including
  common
  success
  metrics
  and
  law
  firm
  views
  on
  their
  BI
  systems
• Adoption
  insights,
  including
  unexpected
  value-adds
  and
  reducing
  law
  firm
  workloads
• Future
  outlook,
  including
  top
  priorities
  and
  the
  impact
  of
  AI
  adoption

When
you’re
a
major
Biglaw
firm
with
big
budgets
and
dedicated
IT
professionals,
major
legal
technology
vendors
eagerly
court
your
business.
Small
firms
willing
to
commit
to
one
of
the
bigger
practice
management
providers
can
attend
some
wonderful
user
conferences
and
learn
about

a
whole
ecosystem
of
partner
products.

But
at
a
certain
point,
lawyers
need
tech
to
better
provide
for
their
clients
and
they
don’t
have
Am
Law
100
resources
or
the
need
to
lock
into
a
whole
brand.
Where
do
they
go
for
a
survey
of
the
field
of
available
products?

On
October
10,

HeyCounsel
—
which
bills
itself
as
“a
230+
strong
community
of
vetted,
thoughtful
&
committed
lawyers
who
are
building
their
practices
together”
—
hosted
its
first

Demo
Day,
a
gathering
of
legal
technology
vendors
focused
on
the
small,
solo,
and
fractional
lawyer
markets.
The
event
invited
16
companies
to
present
their
tools
and
services,
offering
attorneys
a
chance
to
evaluate
emerging
solutions
in
a
collaborative
setting.

The
format
was
straightforward:
each
vendor
had
eight
minutes
to
showcase
their
technology,
followed
by
a
four-minute
Q&A.
The
day
was
split
into
morning
and
afternoon
sessions,
with
attendees
casting
votes
to
select
the
most
compelling
offering
by
the
end
of
the
event.

The
featured
technologies
spanned
a
range
of
applications.

Reclaim.ai,
for
instance,
is
a
scheduling
tool
that
integrates
with
existing
calendars
to
streamline
time
management.

PointOne
provides
an
AI-powered
timekeeping
and
pre-bill
review
platform.

GC
AI
offers
a
generative
AI
system
designed
for
in-house
counsel,
with
automated
document
drafting
and
up-to-date
strategic
advice.
Other
tools
aimed
at
contract
automation,
client
communications,
and
compliance
tracking.

In
addition
to
the
main
event,
HeyCounsel
provides
other
resources
for
its
members,
such
as
curated
templates,
discounts
on
tech
products,
and
opportunities
to
connect
with
peers
and
mentors.
These
offerings,
along
with
events
like
Demo
Day,
reinforce
the
organization’s
focus
on
empowering
lawyers
to
make
informed
choices
about
their
practices.

Events
like
these
allow
lawyers
to
see
live
presentations
and
engage
directly
with
creators
while
surrounded
by
peers
facing
the
same
obstacles.
Never
underestimate
the
value
of
hearing
someone
ask
the
one
perfect
question
you
couldn’t
quite
think
of
in
the
moment.

Plus,
networking
with
friends
is
a
better
use
of
your
time
than
scouring
online
reviews.
You
spend
enough
time
by
yourself
in
a
solo
practice…
don’t
let
all
that
isolation
make
you
weird.

---

Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or

Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.

Woo-hoo!
Biglaw
bonus
season
is
officially
in
full
swing,
with
Biglaw
firms
announcing
their
bonus
schedules
at
a
rapid
clip.
We
can
now
report
that
Cleary
Gottlieb,
ranked
36th
on
the
Am
Law
100
with
$1,491,568,000
in
gross
revenue
in
2023,
has
let
associates
at
the
firm
know
they’ll
be
paid
the
top
of
the
market
compensation.

The
following
scale
is
what
the
firm
announced
today:

As
you
can
see,
it’s
a
match
of
the
Milbank
scale
—
both
the
traditional
annual
ones
and
the
special
bonuses
Milbank
gave
out
back
in
the
summer.
The
bonuses
will
be
paid
out
on
December
20th.

So
is
your
firm
matching
*both*
the
year-end
and
special
bonuses?
Let
Above
the
Law
know!
We
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
important
bonus
updates,
so
when
your
firm
matches
(or
if
they
fail
to
do
so),
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or

email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
all
of
your
help!

Read
the
full
memo
below.

2024
Bonus
and
2025
Salary
Memorandum
–
Associates
on
the
U
S
Salary
Scale

---

Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter

@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon

@[email protected].

---

---

In
a
scandal
that
rocked
the
business
community,
a
former
high-profile
executive
was
sentenced
to
prison,
plus
five
years
of
supervised
release
and
restitution.
The
crime?
Embezzling
an
astonishing
$10
million
within
a
matter
of
months.
The
case,
however,
was
not
a
simple
paper
trail:
it
required
an
intensive
investigation
by
the
Forensic
Services
Practice
at

Charles
River
Associates
that
was
marked
by
meticulous
accounting
analysis,
advanced
digital
sleuthing,
painstaking
document
reconstruction,
and
robust
private
investigator
services.

It
all
began
when
a
public
company
hired
a
new
Chief
Marketing
Officer
(“Mr.
CMO”).
Within
days
of
arrival,
Mr.
CMO
launched
plans
to
take
the
company’s
marketing
strategy
in
new
directions.
He
purportedly
placed
company
funds
on
deposits
for
different
endorsements,
advertisements,
and
a
billboard
in
Times
Square.
He
then
manipulated
those
contracts
with
vendors
(including
some
that
had
undisclosed
related-party
ties
to
himself)
to
redirect
funds
back
to
his
personal
custody
and
control.

These
funds
were
used
on
spending
sprees
including
multiple
lavish
homes,
numerous
romantic
partners,
a
private
plane,
plastic
surgery,
luxury
watches,
jet
skis,
and
a
Mercedes
SUV.

A
year
later,
the
company
went
through
a
reduction
in
force,
and
Mr.
CMO
found
himself
out
of
a
job–perhaps
not
surprising
since
his
various
marketing
“investments”
had
never
actually
generated
much
of
a
return
on
investment.
Only
then
did
the
company
discover
alarming
signs
of
his
nefarious
activities.
CRA’s
forensic
experts
were
brought
in
by
the
company’s
board
to
investigate
what
had
happened,
assist
with
civil
recoveries,
and
give
comfort
to
management
and
the
external
auditors
that
they
were
on
the
right
path
forward
to
fixing
the
financial
statements.

Mr.
CMO
had
exploited
his
position
with
a
precision
that
was
both
daring
and
calculated.
He
had
created
fake
accounts,
fabricated
invoices,
and
manipulated
payment
records
to
reroute
company
funds.
Each
fraudulent
transaction
was
concealed
under
layers
of
legitimate
payments,
a
smoke
screen
that
would
take
weeks
to
clear.
This
was
no
opportunistic
theft
but
had
all
the
markings
of
a
deliberate,
calculated,
premeditated
scheme.

To
add
to
the
intrigue,
CRA’s
experts
employed
genealogical
research,
discovering
information
stemming
from
a
30-year-old
murder
case
that
linked
Mr.
CMO
to
a
sibling
who
was
also
involved
in
the
fraud.
Mr.
CMO
had
legally
changed
his
name
some
years
earlier,
which
had
helped
to
obfuscate
the
related
party
nature
of
some
of
the
key
transactions.

Armed
with
this
information,
the
company
successfully
pursued
civil
recovery
of
its
stolen
assets,
and
documentation
was
turned
over
to
the
U.S.
Attorney
for
criminal
charges.
They
obtained
phone
call
recordings
in
which
Mr.
CMO
was
inquiring
about
countries
without
extradition
treaties
with
the
US,
trying
to
figure
out
how
he
and
his
assets
could
escape.

Ultimately,
Mr.
CMO
pleaded
guilty
to
wire
fraud
and
contempt
charges,
receiving
a
four-year
prison
sentence,
five
years
of
supervised
release,
and
an
order
to
pay
restitution.

CRA’s
Forensic
Services
Practice
was
proud
to
deploy
the
roster
of
technical
skills,
sophisticated
tools,
investigations
experience,
and
professional
judgment
to
nimbly
bring
this
assignment
to
a
successful
close.

Ed.
note:
This
is
the
latest
installment
in
a
series
of
posts
on
motherhood
in
the
legal
profession,
in
partnership
with
our
friends
at MothersEsquire.
Welcome
MacKenzie
OBrien
to
our
pages.
Click


here

if
you’d
like
to
donate
to
MothersEsquire.

As
the
demands
of
law
school
intensify,
the
challenges
grow
as
well
for
new
mothers
balancing
the
responsibilities
of
academics
and
parenthood.
While
the
traditional
law
school
experience
is
strenuous
enough,
those
navigating
new
motherhood
and
legal
studies
face
hurdles
that
often
go
unrecognized
by
their
classmates.
The
experiences
of
two
law
students
who
are
also
new
mothers
highlight
how
law
school
peers
can
provide
moral
and
academic
support,
fostering
a
more
inclusive
and
compassionate
law
school
environment.

New
mothers
in
law
school
frequently
find
themselves
juggling
multiple,
often
conflicting
roles.
Molly
(not
her
real
name),
a
current
law
student
and
mother
to
a
10-month-old
boy,
describes
time
management
as
her
most
pressing
challenge.
“I
want
to
spend
time
with
my
son,
especially
since
he
is
so
young
and
grows
so
fast,”
she
shares.
“But
I
also
want
to
do
well
in
school
and
put
the
time
into
my
readings
and
other
assignments.”
Law
school
coursework
often
feels
relentless,
with
no
real
“time
off,”
making
it
difficult
for
a
new
mom
to
find
time
for
family
without
feeling
like
she’s
sacrificing
academic
performance
in
the
process.
The
emotional
toll
of
this
balancing
act
is
compounded
by
guilt
—
guilt
for
not
spending
enough
time
with
her
child
and
guilt
for
not
dedicating
enough
hours
to
her
studies.
She
emphasizes
the
difficulty
of
navigating
both
worlds,
feeling
like
there’s
always
something
more
she
could
be
doing.
She
isn’t
alone.
Jacqueline
(not
her
real
name),
a
law
student
and
mother
to
a
6-month-old
girl,
cites
exhaustion
and
the
constant
effort
to
be
an
engaged,
present
parent
while
managing
demanding
coursework
as
her
greatest
challenge.

For
both,
it’s
a
daily
struggle
to
keep
up
with
the
considerably
high
academic
expectations
while
honoring
their
precious
roles
as
mothers.

Support
from
classmates
can
be
a
lifeline
for
new
mothers
in
law
school.
Small
acts
of
empathy
—
whether
academic
or
emotional
—
have
been
invaluable
for
Molly.
She
notes
that
even
small
gestures,
like
congratulatory
remarks
or
reassurances
that
she’s
doing
great
work
as
both
a
mom
and
a
student,
help
to
normalize
her
experience.
In
a
setting
where
motherhood
can
be
seen
as
an
added
“burden,”
this
recognition
makes
her
feel
validated
rather
than
isolated.

Jacqueline,
on
the
other
hand,
highlights
the
importance
of
more
practical
support.
Her
study
group
has
gone
above
and
beyond
for
her,
not
only
offering
academic
resources,
like
shared
notes,
but
also
stepping
in
with
childcare
assistance,
like
reading
with
her
daughter
so
she
can
catch
up
on
assignments.
This
level
of
support
allows
her
to
maintain
some
balance,
knowing
that
her
peers
see
her
as
a
valuable
team
member
and
not
just
a
struggling
mother
juggling
extra
responsibilities.

Both
mothers
have
clear
ideas
for
how
law
schools
could
better
support
new
mothers.
Flexible
study
groups,
resource-sharing
initiatives,
and
on-campus
childcare
options
are
at
the
top
of
their
lists.
Molly
suggests
that
law
schools
could
help
create
a
culture
of
flexibility
by
encouraging
professors
to
be
more
understanding
of
new
parents’
needs,
such
as
accommodating
occasional
tardiness
due
to
childcare
arrangements.
Open
communication
and
a
willingness
to
adapt
could
make
a
huge
difference
in
helping
new
mothers
manage
their
dual
responsibilities.

Additionally,
establishing
child-friendly
spaces
on
the
campus,
as
Jacqueline
suggests,
could
provide
mothers
with
a
dedicated
area
to
balance
parenting
and
studying.
An
on-campus
daycare,
for
example,
could
lessen
much
of
the
time
and
stress
associated
with
coordinating
childcare,
allowing
mothers
to
remain
engaged
in
academic
and
extracurricular
activities
without
sacrificing
time
with
their
children.

Encouraging
student-led
initiatives
can
also
play
an
important
role.
Molly’s
involvement
in
reviving
her
school’s
chapter
of
PALS
(Parents
Attending
Law
School)
demonstrates
how
peer-led
groups
can
foster
a
sense
of
community.
Organizations
like
MothersEsquire
also
strive
to
connect
students
with
professional
networks,
offering
guidance
and
mentorship
to
support
new
mothers
throughout
law
school
and
into
their
legal
careers.

Another
critical
aspect
of
supporting
new
mothers
lies
in
reshaping
the
way
success
is
perceived
while
in
school.
Law
school
often
imposes
strict
standards,
promoting
a
culture
that
prioritizes
competition
and
intense
dedication
to
studies.
However,
this
structure
can
be
particularly
alienating
for
new
mothers,
who
are
forced
to
divide
their
focus.
By
building
a
supportive
community
that
acknowledges
and
adapts
to
their
unique
circumstances,
law
schools
can
redefine
success
to
include
resilience,
adaptability,
and
collaboration
—
a
definition
that
seems
to
more
closely
reflect
success
outside
of
the
world
of
academia.
In
essence,
providing
support
to
new
mothers
in
law
school
benefits
everyone
by
cultivating
a
culture
of
compassion
and
collaboration.
Law
students
who
reach
out
a
helping
hand
today
can
help
build
a
stronger,
more
inclusive
profession
for
tomorrow.

---

MacKenzie
OBrien
is
a
3L
at
the
Brandeis
School
of
Law
at
the
University
of
Louisville
and
a
first-generation
law
student.
She
hopes
to
score
big
in
the
world
of
sports
law
someday.
When
she’s
not
diving
into
contract
clauses
or
IP
law,
you
can
find
her
cheering
on
the
New
York
Yankees
or
spinning
the
latest
addition
to
her
vinyl
record
collection.

The
Federalist
Society
conference
included
a

tour
de
force
in
rhetorical
fallacy
from
the
Fifth
Circuit’s
Judge
Edith
Jones,
suggesting
that
it’s
an
attack
on
the
“rule
of
law”
to
talk
about
court
reform
and
that
such
criticism
results
in
death
threats!
Very
cool.
Very
judicial.
We
also
have
a

disturbing
story
out
of
Biglaw,
and
discuss
the
instant
reaction
to

Matt
Gaetz
being
nominated
to
serve
as
Attorney
General
and
the

dumbest
takes
that
nomination
has
inspired.

WASHINGTON
—
President-elect
Donald

Trump’s


stated
plans

to
tee
up
the
firings
of
thousands
of
federal
employees
has
shaken
many
in
the
career
workforce
and
is
damaging
productivity,
the
Pentagon’s
chief
accountant
warned
today. 

Mike
McCord,
the
Pentagon
comptroller,
also
predicted
the
current
continuing
resolution
would
stretch
until
March
and
the
fiscal
2026
budget
will
not
arrive
before
April
or
May.

Near
the
end
of
his
first
term
in
office, Trump


signed
an
executive
order

reclassifying
thousands
of
government
employees
—
often
the
type
who
typically
remain
in
place
regardless
of
presidential
administration
—
as
new
“Schedule
F”
staff
without
employment
protections,
essentially
making
them
at-will
workers
who
are
easier
to
fire.
Critics
lambasted
the
move
as
politicizing
the
bureaucracy
and
an
attack
on
civil
servants
amid
calls
by
Trump
to
purge
the
“deep
state.” 

Now,
as
Trump
prepares
to
return
to
the
White
House,
critics
fear
the
policy
could
make
a
return
after
it
was


quickly
rescinded

by
President
Joe
Biden.
Trump
has
campaigned
on
reviving
the
Schedule
F
approach. 

“I
would
certainly
hope
that
the
next
administration
can
resist
the
temptation
to
[impose]
self-inflicted
wounds
on
the
workforce
with
the
Schedule
F-type
approach,”
McCord
said
today
in
a
keynote
address
at
the
Professional
Services
Council
Vision
2024
Federal
Market
Forcecast
conference. 

“I
can
tell
you
that
the
career
workforce
is
worried
—
those
that
I
talked
to
already
in
anticipation
of
what
might
happen,”
McCord
said.
“It’s
not
helpful
for
productivity.”

“There’s
a
lot
of
hard-working,
dedicated
people
in
the
Defense
Department,
and
if
you
work
with
them
instead
of
trying
to
stomp
them,
I
think
that
we
will
get
to
a
much
better
place,”
McCord
said.

Budget
Woes

Based
on
the
results
of
the
November
election,
McCord
also
said
he
anticipated
the
current
continuing
resolution
(CR)
for
the
2025
fiscal
year,


set
to
expire
in
December,
would
be
stretched
out
to
March
as
a
new
Republican
congressional
majority
asserts
its
influence
—
though
he
characterized
any
gains
the
GOP
could
make
on
its
priorities
as
marginal. 

“There’s
a
time
value
of
money
we
all
know
in
our
personal
life,
and
having
a
bill
in
December
and
a
two
percent
better
bill
in
March
would
be
a
bad
trade
for
most
of
us,
but
that’s
not
how
things
tend
to
get
looked
at
here,”
McCord
said.
“So
I
think
we’re
headed
toward,
probably,
the
two
percent
different
bill
in
March
than
what
we’d
like
to
see
in
December.”

The
Defense
Department,
along
with
the
rest
of
the
federal
government,
is
well-acquainted
with
CRs,
which
military
officials
have


long
complained

set
back
modernization
efforts
by
freezing
spending
at
prior-year
levels
and
preventing
the
start
of
new
programs.
By
McCord’s
count,
there
have
been
15
CRs
over
the
last
16
years,
averaging
four
months
a
year. 

“A
third
of
the
year
wasted
in
CRs
consistently
over
15
straight
years,”
he
said.
“Ridiculous.”  

Despite
the
current
CR
and
uncertainties
ahead
of
the
November
election,
Pentagon
officials
still
put
together
an
FY26
budget
through
the
regular
process,
McCord
said.
That
budget
has
almost
been
finalized,
he
said,
details
of
which
can
then
be
shared
with
the
incoming
administration. 

However,
McCord
noted
Trump
officials
have


still
not
signed
transition
documents,
largely
preventing
current
officials
from
communicating
with
their
successors.
Even
when
those
documents
are
signed, the
process
of
bringing
on
new
staff
from
the
incoming
administration
and
formulating
a
new
budget
likely
means
the
Pentagon’s
FY26
spending
plan
won’t
be
released
until
April
or
May,
he
added.

Freed
from
constraints
of
the
Fiscal
Responsibility
Act,
which
capped
defense
toplines
for
both
2024
and
2025
—
though
Congress
circumvented
those
limits
in
April
by


passing
a
$95
billion
supplemental
defense
bill

anyway
—
McCord
said
the
DoD
would
recommend
getting
back
to
the
levels
of
topline
growth
defined
by
budgets
in
years
like
FY23
and
FY24. 

“This
year,
we’re
working
to
a
higher
[topline],”
McCord
said
of
the
FY26
proposal.
“But
there’s
no
agreement,
and
there
is
going
to
be
a
new
decision
from
the
new
team
about
what
their
topline
looks
like
that
will
help
inform
their
look
at
what
program
mix
we’ve
left
for
them.”

*
It
may
be
bonus
season,
but
amidst
record
profits,
associates
are
noticing
that
their
bonuses
a
lighter
than
they
should
be.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Babe,
wake
up
—
new
contracts
hypo
just
dropped:
“Cheating
husband
sues
wife
for
house
after
mother-in-law
died
watching
them
fight”
[Hindustan
Times]

*
Firms
merging
to
form
“Antitrust
Powerhouse”
in
most
ironic
news
of
the
day.
[Daily
Business
Review]

*
DLA
Piper
faces
lawsuit
alleging
the
firm
had
a
“fake
lawyer”
in
Argentina
doing
work
for
them.
[Texas
Lawyer]

*
Thou
Shalt
Not
Violate
The
First
Amendment.
Block
on
Louisiana
Ten
Commandments
law
upheld.
[PBS]

*
CFPB
preparing
to
take
on
supervisory
role
over
digital
payment
apps.
[Law360]

*
Judges
say
judges
aren’t
the
problem.
That’s
an
evergreen
headline,
but
in
this
case
it’s
about
workplace
harassment.
[Reuters]