The next generation is redefining what is meant by a ‘farm’ and ‘home’ in Zimbabwe’s land reform areas


This
may
be
around
the
nature
of
a
‘farm’
and
what
place
is
called
‘home’.
These
themes
are
explored
in
this
blog,
as
they
have
big
implications
for
how
young
people
are
reinventing
Zimbabwe’s
agricultural
landscape.


What
is
a
farm?

Ideas
of
land
ownership
no
longer
follow
the
old
pattern
of
having
a
single
farm,
with
a
homestead
plot.
Since
land
is
not
available,
then
more
hybrid
arrangements
have
to
be
adopted.
As
previous
blogs
have
discussed,
young
people
must
make
use
of
subdivided
plots,
lease,
borrow,
share,
even
purchase
parcels
of
land
through
various
levels
of
formalisation,
putting
together
land
portfolios
for
living
in
ways
that
their
parents
who
acquired
substantial,
single
plots
through
land
reform
could
not
imagine.

For
example,
it
may
be
that
a
young
person
may
get
a
stand
to
build
a
home
perhaps
on
a
parent’s
plot,
but
have
no
field,
or
only
a
small
piece
of
home
garden.
They
then
must
find
other
land,
using
land
by
rivers
or
streams
illegally,
or
finding
a
patch
to
rent.
A
complex
bricolage
is
thus
constructed,
reconfiguring
standard
patterns
of
ownership.
As
a
result,
the
idea
of
‘a
farm’
is
no
longer
the
ideal
envisioned
by
planners
and
extension
agents,
from
the
colonial
era
onwards.
The
idea
of land
registration
and
titling
 in
such
variegated
land
use
settings
in
A1
areas
is
simply
pie-in-the-sky.

During
land
reform
around
2000,
land
areas
were
planned
and
pegged
with
a
particular
notion of
a
‘viable’
farm
 in
mind.
Boundaries
were
vague
and
plots
were
not
well
demarcated.
However,
despite
all
the
revolutionary
rhetoric
of
the
time,
the
‘fast-track’
villagised
A1
settlements
bore
a
strong
resemblance
to
the
plans
instituted
under
the
much-detested Native
Land
Husbandry
Act
.
Villages
were
often
pegged
in
‘lines’,
with
fields
and
grazing
areas
allocated
in
other
areas.
Since
this
formalisation
in
the
early
2000s,
land
use
is
much
changed,
and
with
this
the
idea
of
a
‘farm’.
Many
people
have
extended
home
fields
beyond
the
original
stands
so
that
labour
can
be
deployed
on
a
limited
area
(see
previous
blogs).

Meanwhile,
the
dryland
outfields
are
often
under-used
and
sometimes
allocated
for
homesteads
and
subdivided
for
fields
for
children
or
rented
out
to
others.
Grazing
areas
have
contracted
too,
as
more
people
have
been
offered
land,
often
illegally,
within
the
resettlement
areas.
As irrigation
has
become
an
increasing
feature
of
agriculture
,
with
reduced
costs
of
equipment
and
as
an
adaptation
to
climate
change,
gaining
access
to
water
is
crucial.
For
this
reason,
farms
are
reconfigured
around
where
water
is
or
can
be
drilled
for,
with
irrigated
plots
near
boreholes
at
homesteads
or
by
rivers,
streams
and
small
dams.

Thus,
the
conventional
pattern
of
homestead,
main
make-controlled
outfield
and
a
small
garden
managed
by
women
has
been
refashioned
dramatically.
‘Farms’
are
now
a
variegated
patchwork
of
land
uses,
spread
across
an
area
and
responding
to
water
availability
and
are
very
far
from
the
standard
plans.
Young
people

both
men
and
women

must
be
responsive
to
this
and
develop
their
land-based
activities
within
these
new
settings,
often
moving
between
sites,
shifting
plots
and
adapting
to
opportunities
in
ways
unimaginable
before.



Where
is
home?

All
this
has
implications
for
what
is
understood
as
‘home’.
Immediately
following
the
land
invasions,
the
land
reform
areas
were
not
regarded
as
‘home’.
Many
maintained
their
original
homesteads
and
fields
in
the
communal
areas,
fearing
that
the
land
reform
would
be
temporary
and
that
they
would
be
evicted.
Homes
are
where
ancestors
come
from,
where
spirits
reside,
and
the
new
invaders
could
not
imagine
this
happening
on
what
was
a
‘white’
farm,
even
though
ancestral
claims
were
mobilised
during
the
invasions.
This
insecurity
has
long
disappeared
and
most
have
abandoned
the
strategy
of
straddling
across
sites,
and
most
regard
the
resettlements
as
‘home’,
where
people
are
buried,
spirits
reside
and
where
families
will
live
for
generations.
That
said,
connections
with
the
communal
areas
persist
and
some
have
‘homes’
in
these
areas
too,
even
if
used
only
by
a
caretaker.

Having
multiple
places
that
can
be
called
‘home’
presents
a
challenge
for
the
next
generation.
Can
they
gain
access
to
land
in
the
land
reform
areas
where
they
were
born,
or
should
they
seek
options
in
the
communal
areas,
where
their
parents
came
from?
The
‘traditional’
system
of
land
allocation
to
young
people
was
that
homes
were
established
upon
marriage
with
land
allocated
by
a
village
headman
in
the
area
where
a
young
man’s
parents
lived.

This
was
classically
a
patrilocal
system
of
residence,
where
wives
followed
husbands
on
marriage.
This
old-style
communal
area
system
of
land
allocation
was
the
expectation
of
many
in
the
resettlement
areas,
but
officially
there
were
no
more
plots
available
and
new
offer
letters
could
not
be
issued
without
the
intervention
of
the
land
officer
and
the
approval
of
the
District
Land
Committee.
Instead,
different
authorities
competed,
and
people
could
only
get
land
by
‘forum
shopping’
across
jurisdictions.

The
real
challenges
of
getting
land
and
establishing
homes
in
the
A1
areas
have
encouraged
many
young
people
to
seek
land
outside
the
strictures
of
the
resettlements
and
avoiding
being
behoven
to
parents
for
allocating
subdivisions,
which
many
feel
is
not
‘their’
land.
For
this
reason,
some
are
moving
back
to
communal
areas,
making
use
of
land
for
their
lineage
(perhaps
abandoned
by
their
parents
when
they
joined
the
land
invasions
in
the
early
2000s).
This,
some
comment,
offers
more
independence
and
security
than
trying
to
make
deals
in
the
A1
areas
where
many
rules
apply.
‘Stands’,
often
just
for
homesteads,
are
available
for
purchase
in
the
communal
areas,
even
if
illegal
(see
earlier
blog
on land
markets
),
so
establishing
a
home
is
a
first
step
to
get
a
foothold
in
the
area;
thereafter
people
can
seek
land
through
leasing,
borrowing
or
further
purchase.
Some
continue
to
make
use
of
the
connections
in
both
places
and
continue
businesses
in
the
A1
areas
where
opportunities
are
greater.

‘Home’
therefore
may
not
be
where
they
grew
up
(in
the
A1
areas),
but
in
areas
where
parents
or
uncles
had
or
have
connections
(in
the
communal
areas),
or
in
combinations
of
the
two,
where
straddling
between
sites
allow
livelihoods
to
be
generated.
The
cases
below
illustrate
these
dynamics.

Case
1,
NM,
Wondedzo
Wares,
Masvingo


I
was
born
in
2004
and
grew
up
here.
My
grandparents
acquired
land
here
before
I
was
born.
I
completed
Form
4
in
2023
and
got
married
the
same
year.
My
husband
is
originally
from
Renco
but
has
been
working
as
a
labourer
for
various
people
here.
Last
year,
we
bought
a
‘stand’
(acre
in
size)
in
Chimedza
area
in
Serima
communal
areas
from
a
war
veteran
for
US$450
using
income
from
my
husband’s
wages.
We
are
still
in
the
process
of
building
our
homestead,
so
we
are
still
based
here
as
my
husband
works
for
Mrs
M
who
is
in
the
A1
area.

Case
2,
NM,
Vimbi,
Matobo


I
was
born
in
1999
and
grew
up
here.
I
did
Form
4
in
2016,
but
I
did
not
write
the
final
exams
as
I
got
pregnant.
After
falling
pregnant,
I
realised
that
the
man
was
married
with
a
family
elsewhere.
I
remarried
in
2023
again.
My
husband
and
I
then
decided
to
look
for
a
place
to
build
our
own
homestead.
Here,
you
can’t
build
a
homestead
wherever
you
want
as
the
rules
are
very
strict
here.
So,
my
uncle
who
has
a
homestead
in
Chapo
area
in
Kumalo
communal
areas
then
allocated
us
a
piece
of
land
behind
his
homestead.
We
only
have
a
homestead,
but
no
arable
fields.
It’s
very
hard
to
do
crop
farming
in
Chapo
as
there
are
too
many
baboons
that
raid
crops,
and
the
soils
are
very
infertile.
My
mother
has
since
given
us
1ha
to
do
farming
here
in
the
A1
farm.
We
currently
straddle
the
two
places,
as
I
have
also
set
up
a
tuckshop
here
at
the
A1
farm.

Others
try
their
luck
in
the
A1
areas,
cobbling
together
a
bricolage
of
land
parcels
linked
to
a
homestead.
Others
have
abandoned
traditions
of
patrilocal
land
allocation
with
husbands
following
wives
to
resettlement
areas
where
land
is
available,
with
men
living
together
with
their
wives’
families,
following
‘money’
(and
land)
rather
than
traditional
ways
of
using
it,
as
we
explore
further
in
the
next
blog.


A
new
rural
landscape

In
sum,
the
conventional
ways
of
thinking
about
land
and
its
use
are
being
up-ended
as
the
struggles
to
make
a
livelihood
by
the
next
generation
refashion
how
a
‘farm’
is
thought
about
and
what
‘home’
means.
Due
to
the
demands
of
combining
land
parcels
and
different
forms
of
production
across
time
and
space
with
off-farm
work
in
complex
combinations
and
sequences,
the
standard
patterns
that
existed
amongst
previous
generations
have
been
disrupted.

As
we
try
and
understand
what
land,
agriculture
and
farming
look
like
in
the
next
generation
of
land
reform,
old
assumptions
have
to
be
unravelled.
Today
it
is
much
more
complex
and
dynamic,
but
through
incredible
ingenuity
and
much
hard
work
(and
hardship)
today’s
young
people
are
creating
a
new
rural
landscape
25
years
after
land
reform.


This
is
the
fourth
blog
in
a
series
exploring
young
people
and
land
in
post-land
reform
Zimbabwe.
The
blog
has
been
written
by
Ian
Scoones
and
Tapiwa
Chatikobo,
with
inputs
from
Godfrey
Mahofa
(data
analysis),
Felix
Murimbarimba
(field
lead)
and
Jacob
Mahenehene
(field
assistant),
amongst
others.
This
blog
first
appeared
on 
Zimbabweland

Post
published
in:

Agriculture

Bringing HIV services to hard-to-reach people in Victoria Falls


Desire
is
a
former
barman
and
sex
worker
who
was
born
and
brought
up
in
Victoria
Falls.
When
he
found
out
from
a
friend
that
there
was
a
job
opening
at
the
clinic
he
readily
applied.
His
boundless
energy
and
social
skills
meant
that
he
was
quickly
hired
and
trained
to
become
a
peer
educator.

North
Star
Alliance
clinics
are
located
in
areas
with
high
HIV
prevalence.
They
offer
primary
health-care
services,
services
for
sexually
transmitted
infections
and
malaria,
HIV
counselling
and
testing
and
screening
for
tuberculosis.
Through
the
clinic,
essential
health
services
are
brought
closer
to
the
people
who
need
them
most
in
a
comfortable
environment
without
prejudice.

“Owing
to
stigma
and
discrimination,
most
sex
workers
and
men
who
have
sex
with
men
don’t
attend
public
health
facilities.
Instead,
they
go
to
private
clinics
or
nongovernmental
organizations
for
condoms,”
Desire
explained.

Stepping
up
HIV
prevention
efforts
in
Zimbabwe
has
had
impressive
results.
In
2015,
there
were
64
000
new
HIV
infections,
down
from
87
000
in
2005
and
220
000
in
1992.
However,
HIV
prevalence
among
sex
workers
remains
extremely
high—at
more
than
57%
in
2015.

“Since
I
started
working
as
a
peer
educator
I
have
seen
what
importance
the
clinic
has
in
a
city
like
Victoria
Falls,
where
we
see
a
high
demand
for
our
services,”
Desire
explained.

Victoria
Falls
is
a
tourist
destination,
a
transit
town
between
Zimbabwe
and
Zambia
and
a
major
truck
stop.
On
average,
the
clinic
sees
about
35
female
sex
workers,
10
to
15
male
sex
workers
and
45
to
50
truck
drivers
a
week.

Desire
is
most
proud
of
his
outreach
and
community
mobilization
work,
which
builds
on
a
strong
community
empowerment
foundation
for
sex
workers
and
men
who
have
sex
with
men.
“What
I
want
is
for
everyone
to
keep
themselves
healthy,”
he
said.

Zimbabwe
is
taking
a
leading
role
in
efforts
to
increase
HIV
prevention
across
the
region.
On
23
and
24
March,
Zimbabwe
will
host
a
regional
expert
meeting
on
revitalizing
HIV
prevention
in
the
eastern
and
southern
Africa
region
at
Victoria
Falls.
The
meeting
will
seek
to
set
national
HIV
prevention
targets
as
part
of
the
implementation
of
the
2016
United
Nations
Political
Declaration
on
Ending
AIDS.
UNAIDS
Deputy
Executive
Director
Luiz
Loures
will
be
among
the
attendees
of
the
meeting.

“This
meeting
will
be
an
excellent
opportunity
for
partners
from
across
the
region
to
come
together,
to
develop
capacity,
to
create,
replicate
and
scale-up
effective
programmes
to
advance
efforts
towards
ending
the
AIDS
epidemic
in
eastern
and
southern
Africa,”
said
Mr
Loures.

UNAIDS
continues
to
advocate
strongly
for
the
scale-up
of
HIV
prevention
and
is
working
with
countries
to
ensure
that
90%
of
people
in
high
HIV
prevalence
countries,
including
Zimbabwe,
who
are
at
risk
of
HIV
infection
are
reached
by
comprehensive
HIV
prevention
services,
as
outlined
in
the
2016
United
Nations
Political
Declaration
on
Ending
AIDS.

Post
published
in:

Featured

U.S. increasingly disappointed with Zimbabwe government -U.S. official

“The
disappointment
just
keeps
getting
worse
and
worse,
unfortunately,”
said
the
official,
speaking
on
background
to
reporters.
“The
government
seems
to
be
getting
even
more
violent
in
their
response
to
any
form
of
opposition.”

The
official
said
Washington
had
made
clear
to
the
government
of
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
what
it
would
take
to
improve
relations
between
Zimbabwe
and
the
United
States.
U.S.
officials
have
previously
called
on
Mnangagwa
to
change
Zimbabwe’s
laws
restricting
media
freedom
and
allowing
protests.

Mnangagwa’s
government
last
week
banned
anti-government
protests
by
the
opposition
Movement
for
Democratic
Change,
which
accuses
the
authorities
of
political
repression
and
mismanaging
the
economy.
Police
fired
tear
gas
to
disperse
crowds
and
barred
access
to
the
MDC’s
Harare
offices.

Anger
among
the
population
has
mounted
over
triple-digit
inflation,
rolling
power
cuts
and
shortages
of
U.S.
dollars,
fuel
and
bread.

In
March,
President
Donald
Trump
extended
by
one
year
U.S.
sanctions
against
100
entities
and
individuals
in
Zimbabwe,
including
Mnangagwa,
saying
his
government
had
failed
to
bring
about
political
and
economic
changes.

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary 8th March 2025


10.3.2025


17:45

Another
virtual
Vigil
today
continues
our
protest
against
the
human
rights
abuse
and
lack
of
democracy
in
Zimbabwe. 



https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/54377748268/sizes/m/

Our
virtual
Vigil
activists
today
were
Kudzwai
Madhodha
and
Munashe
Madziyauswa.
They
carried
a
placards
expressing
their
dissatisfaction
with
ZANU
PF,
Zimbabwe’s
ruling
regime.  Photos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/albums/72177720324341488
.

For
Vigil
pictures
check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
Please
note:
Vigil
photos
can
only
be
downloaded
from
our
Flickr
website.


 


Events
and
Notices:  


  • Next
    Vigil
    meeting
    outside
    the
    Zimbabwe
    Embassy. 
    Saturday
    15th March
    from
    2

    5
    pm.
    We
    meet
    on
    the
    first
    and
    third
    Saturdays
    of
    every
    month.
    On
    other
    Saturdays
    the
    virtual
    Vigil
    will
    run.

  • The
    Restoration
    of
    Human
    Rights
    in
    Zimbabwe
    (ROHR)
     is
    the
    Vigil’s
    partner
    organisation
    based
    in
    Zimbabwe.
    ROHR
    grew
    out
    of
    the
    need
    for
    the
    Vigil
    to
    have
    an
    organisation
    on
    the
    ground
    in
    Zimbabwe
    which
    reflected
    the
    Vigil’s
    mission
    statement
    in
    a
    practical
    way.
    ROHR
    in
    the
    UK
    actively
    fundraises
    through
    membership
    subscriptions,
    events,
    sales
    etc
    to
    support
    the
    activities
    of
    ROHR
    in
    Zimbabwe.

  • The
    Vigil’s
    book
    ‘Zimbabwe
    Emergency’
     is
    based
    on
    our
    weekly
    diaries.
    It
    records
    how
    events
    in
    Zimbabwe
    have
    unfolded
    as
    seen
    by
    the
    diaspora
    in
    the
    UK.
    It
    chronicles
    the
    economic
    disintegration,
    violence,
    growing
    oppression
    and
    political
    manoeuvring

    and
    the
    tragic
    human
    cost
    involved. It
    is
    available
    at
    the
    Vigil.
    All
    proceeds
    go
    to
    the
    Vigil
    and
    our
    sister
    organisation
    the
    Restoration
    of
    Human
    Rights
    in
    Zimbabwe’s
    work
    in
    Zimbabwe.
    The
    book
    is
    also
    available
    from
    Amazon.


  • Facebook
    pages:   


        Vigil : 
https ://www.facebook.com/zimbabwevigil 


        
ROHR: https://www.facebook.com/Restoration-of-Human-Rights-ROHR-Zimbabwe-International-370825706588551/

ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515

The
Vigil,
outside
the
Zimbabwe
Embassy,
429
Strand,
London
meets
regularly
on
Saturdays
from
14.00
to
17.00
to
protest
against
gross
violations
of
human
rights
in
Zimbabwe.
The
Vigil
which started
in
October
2002
will
continue
until
internationally-monitored,
free
and
fair
elections
are
held
in
Zimbabwe.

Post
published
in:

Featured

Biglaw Firm Scrubs Pronouns From Attorney Signatures Without Telling Anyone – Above the Law

Earlier
this
month,
DLA
Piper
attorneys
in
the
U.S.
discovered
that
their
signature
blocks
had
been
edited,
without
any
warning
or
notice,
to
scrub
any
mention
of
personal
pronouns.
In
an
unintentionally
fitting
memorialization,
the
firm’s
“global
search
and
replace”
effort
apparently
failed
to
account
for
formatting,
deleting
the
pronouns
and,
for
some
attorneys,
leaving
empty
parentheses
in
the
blocks
to
mark
the
erasure.

It
appears
to
be
the
latest
“obey
in
advance”
streak
afflicting
the
legal
industry.
Already,
Biglaw
firms
have

deleted
diversity
language
from
their
websites

and
embarked
on
a

chilling
silence
campaign

in
the
wake
of
the

administration’s
retaliatory
strike
on
Covington
.
With
Trump
raising
the
stakes
in
the
assault
on
lawyers,

weaponizing
the
EEOC
against
private
law
firm
diversity
efforts
,
it’s
probably
not
the
end
of
the
cowering.

And
it’s
not
just
law
firms
because
for
every

inspiring
Georgetown
dean
letter

telling
the
administration’s
lackeys
to
pound
sand,
there
are
cowardly
administrations
like

Vanderbilt
or
Cornell
deleting
diversity
from
their
websites
.

However,
this
seems
to
be
the
first
universal
effort
to
police
individual
email
signatures.
It
marks
a
bold
departure
for
DLA
Piper,
a
firm
that

historically
touted
its
pronoun
policy
.
And
it’s
a
move
that
seems
tailored
to
appease
the
Trump
administration
because
tipsters
report
that
international
attorneys
have
not
seen
their
signatures
adjusted
behind
their
backs.

We
reached
out
to
DLA
for
comment
but
have
not
heard
back.

The
problem
with
a
strategy
of
preemptive
compliance
with
Trump
is
that
it
doesn’t
actually
matter.
Consider

Trump’s
cancellation
of
hundreds
of
millions
in
grants
to
Columbia
,
ostensibly
over
pro-Palestinian
protests
on
campus,
even
though
Columbia’s
administration
invited
the
NYPD
to
make
a
brutal
public
spectacle
of
clearing
out
the
protest
and
all
they
got
in
return
was

vilified
by
attention-seeking
Federalist
Society
judges

and
its
funding
attacked.

If
this
game
of
avoiding
the
“Eye
of
Dumb
Sauron”
is
so
rarely
fruitful,
why
even
play?
Firms
may
argue
that
they
aren’t
even
trying
to
play
games
and
that
this
is
not
about
rolling
over
for
the
administration
as
much
as
an
adjustment
to
reflect
a
shifting
public
consensus
in
light
of
the
election.
Or,
perhaps
more
accurately,
to
reflect
what
their
business
community
clients
assume
is
a
public
consensus.

But
this
is,
as
they
say,
bullshit.
The
private
sector
doesn’t
have
to
care
about
the
electoral
college,
just
the
people.
Donald
Trump
has
run
for
president
on
this
platform
three
times
and
not
ONCE
managed
to
get
more
people
to
vote
for
him
than
vote
against
him.
Indeed,
until
last
year’s
49
percent
plurality,
he’d
never
even
managed
to
get
more
people
to
vote
for
him
than
for
his
highest
profile
opponent.

Law
firms
have
no
need
to
radically
alter
their
human
resources
to
meet
the
demands
of
49
percent
of
the
public
that
are
never
going
to
own
a
major
Wall
Street
bank.
In
fact,
law
firms
can
keep
billing
clients
like
fiends
while
standing
up
for
the
better
angels
of
our
nature.

Which
really
makes
you
wonder
why
so
many
of
them
aren’t.

Standing
up,
I
mean.
I
trust
they’re
still
billing
like
fiends.


Earlier
:

Biglaw
Firm
Quietly
Begins
Purging
Diversity
Language
From
Website


Law
Schools
Respond
To
The
Executive
Threatening
To
Cut
Federal
Funding
Over
DEI


Trump
Signs
Executive
Order
Calling
Out
Top
50
Biglaw
Firm,
With
Intent
To
Wage
War
Against
Other
‘Leading
Law
Firms’
Over
Their
DEI
Policies


Covington
Must
Wait
Behind
Putin
To
See
Classified
Documents
Like
Everyone
Else




HeadshotJoe
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
.

Judges No Longer Need To Stop Federal Law Clerks From Applying To ‘Political’ Jobs While Clerking – Above the Law

Back
in
September,
the
U.S.
Judicial
Conference’s
Committee
on
Codes
of
Conduct
published
an
advisory
opinion
concerning
judicial
employees’
political
activities.
At
the
time,
judges
were
encouraged
to

curtail
law
clerks
from
applying
to
post-clerkship
political
jobs

while
working
for
the
federal
court
system,
as
such
job
searches
could
“risk[]
linking
the
judge’s
chambers
to
political
activity,
which
could
compromise
the
independence
of
the
judiciary.”
Six
months
later,
now
that
Trump
is
back
in
the
White
House,
that
judicial
ethics
opinion
is
looking
pretty
relaxed.

Late
last
week,
the
judicial
panel
modified
its
advisory
opinion,
and
as
noted
by

Reuters
,
it’s
much
more
lenient:

[O]n
Friday,
the
committee,
which
is
tasked
with
providing
judges
and
judicial
employees
guidance
on
ethical
issues,
took
a
less
strict
view
of
such
employment,
saying
it
only
“may
pose
such
a
risk”
under
“some
circumstances.”

“Ultimately,
the
appointing
judge
retains
discretion
to
assess
this
risk
and
to
impose
restrictions
or
limitations,
if
any,”
the
new
ethics
guidance
advised.

The
committee
said
that
assessments
of
those
risks
should
now
be
made
on
a
“case-by-case
basis
in
full
consideration
of
all
the
facts,
circumstances,
and
potential
risks
involved,
underscoring
the
importance
that
the
judge,
as
the
law
clerk’s
appointing
authority,
should
be
completely
informed.”

This
is
a
pretty
significant
walking
back
of
the
committee’s
ethics
rule
during
a
time
when
judicial
ethics
may
matter
more
than
they
ever
have
before.
But
then
again,
who’s
to
say
that
a
judge
wouldn’t
be
threatened
with
possible
impeachment
if
word
got
out
that
they
prevented
a
clerk
from
applying
to
a
post-clerkship
political
job?
Because
of
the
unprecedented
times
we
live
in,
anything
is
possible.


US
judiciary
relaxes
ethics
standard
on
clerks
seeking
political
jobs

[Reuters]


Earlier
:

Federal
Law
Clerks
Barred
From
Applying
To
‘Political’
Jobs
While
Clerking


Staci Zaretsky




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 BlueskyX/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

Lawyers In The Room: How Joining Customer Conversations Drives Business Wins – Above the Law

The
first
time
I
joined
a
sales
call,
I
didn’t
expect
much.
I
was
there
as
legal
backup,
not
the
star
of
the
show.
But
halfway
through,
the
client
raised
a
concern
about
a
licensing
clause.
On
instinct,
I
suggested
a
quick
tweak.
The
hesitation
disappeared,
and
the
deal
closed
faster
than
anyone
expected.

That
moment
was
a
game-changer.
It
taught
me
that
my
role
as
product
counsel
isn’t
just
about
drafting
contracts
or
mitigating
risks.
It’s
about
actively
contributing
to
the
business

and
one
of
the
best
ways
to
do
that
is
by
being
in
the
room
with
customers.

Direct
engagement
with
customers
provides
insights
you
simply
can’t
get
secondhand.
You
uncover
hidden
risks,
spot
opportunities
for
improvement,
and
strengthen
the
bridge
between
legal
and
business.
Here’s
why
showing
up
matters.


Find
The
Problems
That
Actually
Matter

Customer
praise
feels
good,
but
it
rarely
tells
the
full
story.
The
real
value
lies
in
understanding
what
makes
them
hesitate.
Is
it
the
legal
terms?
A
compliance
question?
A
trust
issue?
These
moments
are
gold
for
identifying
what’s
truly
holding
your
business
back.

For
example,
during
a
series
of
sales
calls,
I
noticed
a
recurring
concern
about
how
we
handled
data
privacy.
That
led
to
a
collaboration
with
the
product
team
to
strengthen
our
privacy
disclosures.
The
result?
Customer
concerns
eased,
deals
closed
faster,
and
we
gained
a
competitive
edge
by
being
more
transparent.

Patterns
in
customer
concerns
don’t
just
solve
individual
problems

they
reveal
the
systemic
ones.


Read
The
Unspoken

Not
all
risks
are
announced.
Sometimes,
it’s
a
pause,
a
raised
eyebrow,
or
a
carefully
worded
question
that
signals
a
deeper
worry.

Once,
I
noticed
a
customer
hesitating
during
a
demo
about
our
compliance
features.
After
the
call,
we
revisited
the
documentation
and
updated
it
to
address
industry-specific
concerns.
That
small
adjustment
didn’t
just
close
deals;
it
gave
us
a
stronger
market
position.

Being
in
the
room
lets
you
catch
the
risks
others
might
miss.


Build
Trust
Without
Slowing
Deals

Legal
is
often
seen
as
the
department
of
“no”
or
“not
yet,”
but
it
doesn’t
have
to
be.
By
joining
customer
conversations,
I’ve
found
ways
to
protect
compliance
while
helping
sales
teams
move
deals
forward.

For
instance,
when
a
fintech
client
expressed
concerns
about
cross-border
data
transfers,
I
addressed
it
on
the
spot.
That
immediate
clarity
turned
a
potential
roadblock
into
a
green
light.
Sales
teams
value
this
kind
of
proactive
support,
and
customers
appreciate
knowing
their
concerns
are
heard.


Simplify
The
Legal
Experience

Sitting
in
on
customer
calls
has
also
taught
me
how
frustrating
legal
terms
can
be.
By
bridging
the
gap
between
legal
requirements
and
user
experience,
I’ve
helped
simplify
agreements
to
build
trust.

Take
enterprise
contracts,
for
example.
Customers
often
found
them
dense
and
overwhelming.
I
proposed
modular
agreements
tailored
to
their
purchasing
habits.
The
result?
Faster
negotiations
and
happier
clients.

Legal
should
empower

not
confuse

the
people
it
serves.


Show
Up,
Win
Together

The
simple
act
of
being
present
in
customer
conversations
sends
a
powerful
message:
“We
care
about
your
experience.
This
builds
trust,
strengthens
relationships,
and
drives
long-term
loyalty.

When
you’re
in
the
room,
you’re
not
just
solving
problems

you’re
shaping
the
future
of
the
business.
And
trust
me,
your
presence
will
be
noticed
and
valued.


The
Bottom
Line

If
you’re
a
product
counsel
looking
to
add
more
value,
start
showing
up.
Sit
in
on
sales
calls,
ask
questions,
and
listen
carefully.
You’ll
gain
insights,
close
gaps,
and
become
an
essential
partner
to
both
your
team
and
your
customers.

For
more
strategies
on
building
trust
and
driving
business
wins
as
a
product
lawyer,
check
out
my
book,
Product
Counsel:
Advise,
Innovate,
and
Inspire
.”
It’s
filled
with
actionable
advice
for
turning
customer
interactions
into
opportunities
and
becoming
a
true
business
partner.

Have
you
stepped
into
customer
conversations
as
a
lawyer?
I’d
love
to
hear
how
it’s
worked
for
you

let’s
keep
the
conversation
going.




Olga MackOlga
V.
Mack



is
a
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics,
and
a
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
authored 
Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat
Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security
,
and  
Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities
. She
is
working
on
three
books:



Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
(ABA
2024), The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers:
An
Analytical
Framework
to
Systematically
Advise
Your
Clients
Throughout
the
Product
Lifecycle
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024),
and
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024).
You
can
follow
Olga
on




LinkedIn



and
Twitter
@olgavmack.

SXSW Opening Keynote Stresses Social Health In The Workplace And Beyond: The Missing Link In Law Firm Culture – Above the Law


SXSW

kicked
off
Thursday
morning
with
a
keynote
discussion
by

Kasley
Killiam
,
a
social
health
expert,
and

Amy
Galo
,
a
workplace
expert,
about
the
need
for
better
human
connection.
While
the
usual
welcome
remarks
by

Hugh
Forrest
,
SXSW’s
Chief
Programming
Officer,
tend
to
be
standard
fare,
this
time,
he
introduced
two
elephants
in
the
room—both
of
which
have
implications
beyond
just
the
conference
itself.

First,
the
Austin
Convention
Center,
home
to
most
SXSW
events,
is
being
torn
down
after
this
year’s
conference
and
won’t
be
available
for
the
next
three
years.
Talk
about
a
logistical
nightmare.
But
as
Forrest
pointed
out,
change
is
inevitable,
and
adaptation
is
key.
The
second
elephant?
“We
live
in
interesting
times,”
he
noted.
And
that,
too,
is
an
understatement.

I’ve
noticed
that
many
of
the
themes
this
year
involve
concepts
that
are
under
attack.
A
cleaner
environment
to
meet
climate
change
threats.
The
attack
on
DEI.
Where
these
attacks
lead
to
and
how
they
impact
SXSW
and
other
conferences
remains
to
be
seen.
But
it’s
something
all
conferences
and
organizations
need
to
think
about. 

Forrest
emphasized
though
that
the
fact
we
live
in
interesting
times
does
not
change
not
change
what
SXSW
does
or
what
it’s
about.
That,
in
fact,
the
times
make
this
event
more
important
than
ever.

That’s
why
Killiam’s
keynote
on
social
health
and
the
need
for
deeper
human
connection
couldn’t
have
been
more
timely.
Killiam,
a
leading
expert
in
social
health
and
author
of The
Art
and
Science
of
Connection
,
argues
that
meaningful
connection
isn’t
just
a
nice-to-have—it’s
critical
to
our
physical
and
mental
health.
She
also
made
a
bold
prediction:
in
the
future,
social
health
will
become
a
core
pillar
of
both
culture
and
business.

And
like
any
business,
law
firms
should
pay
attention.


The
Missing
Piece
in
the
Return-to-Office
Debate

Killiam
made
a
compelling
case:
workplaces
that
actively
foster
social
health
will
be
more
innovative,
more
productive,
and
ultimately
more
profitable.
She
predicts
that
in
the
future,
companies
will
create
roles
like
Chief
Social
Health
Officers
to
ensure
employees
are
building
meaningful
connections.
There’s
already
movement
in
this
direction,
with
industries
recognizing
that
combating
loneliness
and
fostering
connection
leads
to
better
health
outcomes,
including
reduced
risk
of
depression
and
heart
disease,
and
even
increased
longevity.

This
idea
and
need
is
particularly
relevant
to
law
firms,
where
the
push
for
a
return
to
the
office
is
intensifying.
As
has
been

reported
by
Above
the
Law
,
more
and
more
firms
are
requiring
lawyers
and
legal
professionals
to
be
in
the
office
four
days
a
week.
I
suspect
a
five-day
requirement
is
likely
not
far
behind.
The
stated
reasons?
Increased
collaboration,
better
training,
and
stronger
firm
culture.
But
as
I
have

written
before
,
let’s
be
honest—most
of
these
policies
aren’t
about
social
health
or
connection.
They’re
about
control
and
convenience
for
partners
and
leadership.

Indeed,
if
firms
were
genuinely
concerned
with
connection
and
collaboration,
they’d
be
designing
work
environments
that
encourage
it—not
just
demanding
physical
presence.
After
all,
how
much
social
bonding
happens
when
you’re
locked
in
an
office
grinding
out
2,400
billable
hours
a
year?
How
much
bonding
can
you
do
if
you
have
to
go
to
the
office,
sit
alone
all
day
working
to
meet
your
billable
quota,
and
are
interrupted
every
now
and
then
for
a
Zoom
call
with
a
partner
at
their
beach
house
or
sail
boat?

Forcing
people
back
into
the
office
without
a
plan
for
meaningful
interaction
isn’t
fostering
connection—it’s
just
adding
commute
time.
And
let’s
not
forget,
requiring
people
in
the
office
without
more
really
just
means
depriving
them
of
human
connection
time
with
friends,
family,
and
even
business
connections. 

If
social
health
matters
(and
the
data
suggests
it
does),
then
firms
need
to
be
intentional
about
creating
opportunities
for
genuine
human
connection,
not
just
seat-warming.


The
Future:
Connection
as
a
Competitive
Edge

Killiam’s
argument
also
hints
at
where
the
legal
industry
should
be
heading.
Killiam
believes
socially
connected
individuals
and
teams
innovate
better
and
communicate
more
effectively.
They
are
happier.
They
are
more
productive
and
are
ultimately
more
successful.
Firms
need
to
get
over
the
idea
that
providing
social
connection
programs
and
incentives
does
not
mean
fewer
billable
hours.

In
addition,
if
firms
move
toward
more
value-based
billing
instead
of
rigid
billable-hour
models,
fostering
deeper
team
collaboration
becomes
even
more
important
and
could
provide
a
competitive
advantage. 

Given
the
rise
of
discussions
around
social
health,
law
firms
that
ignore
this
trend
risk
falling
behind.
That’s
the
part
of
the
conversation
missing
from
the
return-to-office
debate.
If
law
firms
truly
want
to
enhance
collaboration,
they
need
to
provide
a
reason
to
be
in
the
office
beyond
just
“because
we
said
so.”
That
means
creating
space
for
real
human
interaction—mentorship,
brainstorming,
learning
from
colleagues—not
just
more
time
behind
a
desk.

This
is
what
SXSW
does
so
well—challenging
conventional
thinking
and
pushing
industries
forward.
Killiam’s
keynote
was
a
reminder
that
the
world
is
shifting.
The
firms
that
embrace
change
and
rethink
the
way
they
operate
will
be
the
ones
that
thrive.




Stephen
Embry
is
a
lawyer,
speaker,
blogger
and
writer.
He
publishes TechLaw
Crossroads
,
a
blog
devoted
to
the
examination
of
the
tension
between
technology,
the
law,
and
the
practice
of
law.

SDA again postpones launch of first ‘operational’ data relay, missile warning satellites – Breaking Defense

SDA’s
Tranche
1
launches
are
now
anticipated
to
begin
in
summer
2025,
starting
with
satellites
for
the
Transport
Layer.
(Image
courtesy
of
Northrop
Grumman)

WASHINGTON

The

Space
Development
Agency
(SDA)

today
announced
it
is
again
postponing
launch
of
its
first-generation
“operational”
satellites
designed
to
provide
data
relay
and
missile
warning/tracking,
with
a
first
lift-off
now
planned
for
“late
summer.”

The
launch
setback

which
represents
yet
another
piece
of
bad
news
for
the
embattled
agency

was
recently
decided
by
SDA’s
current
leadership,
“in
conjunction
with”
that
of
the
Space
Force,
an
SDA
official
told
reporters
today.

William
Blauser,
former
deputy
head
of
the
department’s

Rapid
Capabilities
Office
(RCO)
,
currently
is
the
acting
head
of
SDA,
following
the

Jan.
16

suspension
of
Director
Derek
Tournear
over
alleged

mismanagement

of
a
contract
award.

SDA
originally
had
hoped
to
begin
launching
the
Tranche
1
Transport
and
Tracking
Layer
constellations
for
its

Proliferated
Warfighter
Space
Architecture
(PWSA)

stationed
in
low
Earth
orbit
(LEO)

in
September
2024
.
That
date
was

subsequently
pushed

back
a
few
months
to
either
very
late
2024
or
early
2025.

Tranche
1
will
include
a
total
of
158
satellites,
according
to
an
SDA
fact
sheet
[PDF]:

126
satellites

in
the
data
relay
Transport
Layer,
28
missile
warning/tracking
satellites
in
the
Tracking
Layer,
and
4
“missile
defense
demonstration”
satellites.

The
first
launch
will
involve
Transport
Layer
birds,
an
SDA
official
told
reporters
today,
but
the
agency
is
not
yet
sure
how
many
satellites
will
go
up
and
whether
satellites
from
all
of
the
three
current
vendors
will
be
included.

Northrop
Grumman,
Lockheed
Martin
and
start-up
York
Space
Systems
all
won
shares
of
a
$1.8
billion
contract
award

in
February
2022
.

The
plan,
according
to
the
SDA
announcement,
is
to
then
undertake
one
launch
per
month
until
the
all
the
Transport
and
Tracking
Layer
satellites
are
on-orbit.

“SDA
continues
to
aggressively
work
toward
the
first
Tranche
1
launch;
however,
as
we
progress
through
a
normal
assembly,
integration,
and
testing
campaign,
with
the
added
challenge
of
late
supplier
deliveries,
it
has
become
clear
additional
time
is
required
for
system
readiness
to
meet
the
Tranche
1
minimum
viable
capability,”
the
agency
said.

The
SDA
official
acknowledged
that
one
of
the
problems
pushing
back
the
Tranche
1
launch
has
been
the
development
of
optical
communications
terminals
(OCTs)

an
issue
highlighted
in
a

recent
report

from
the
Government
Accountability
Office.

Laser
links

are
foundational

to
the
workings
of
the
PWSA,
which
is
being
designed
as
a
“mesh”
network
that
uses
laser
links
to
rapidly
transfer
data
among
themselves

and
eventually
to
ground
stations.

“OCT
terminals
is
definitely
a
challenge,”
the
official
said.
“We’re
working
to
continue
to
help
scale
that
and
address
any
hang
ups
there.”

Other
problems
have
included
supplies
of
propulsion
units
and
vendor
difficulties
in
getting
“approvals”
for
“encryption
devices,”
the
SDA
official
noted.
(While
the
SDA
official
declined
to
elaborate
on
the
latter
issue,
the
National
Security
Agency
is
charged
with
approving
encryption
devices
used
by
the
Defense
Department
and
other
national
security
agencies.)

Despite
the
launch
delays,
the
SDA
announcement
stressed
that
the
agency
still
intends
to
be
able
to
provide

region-by-region

coverage
for
users
in
the
field
early
in
2027.

“SDA
is
committed
to
completing
on-orbit
test
and
checkout
of
the
initial
satellites
by
mid-2026
and
delivering
the
entire
initial
warfighting
capability
of
the
PWSA
in
early
calendar
year
2027,
consistent
with
warfighter
expectations,”
the
announcement
said.

“SDA’s
top
priority
is
to
quickly
deliver
capabilities
promised
to
the
warfighter.
Launch
is
a
major
milestone
but
one
in
a
much
larger
path
to
delivering
viable
capabilities.
Our
goal
remains
to
rapidly
deliver
functional
capabilities
with
a
high
degree
of
operational
confidence,”
it
added.

Morning Docket: 03.10.25 – Above the Law

*
Man
who
complained
about
weaponized
government
weaponizes
the
government
against
law
firms.
[Independent]

*
Law
firms
are
shocked
SHOCKED
by

order

they
refuse
to
talk
about.
[American
Lawyer
]

*
In
fun
experiment,
Paul
Clement
was
asked
to
show
an
ounce
of
professional
integrity
or
sign
off
on
a
bribe.
WHAT
DID
HE
POSSIBLY
CHOO…oh,
you
already
know.
[NY
Times
]

*
More
senior
DOJ
officials
fired.
[Reuters]

*
Administration
demands
Google
divest
from
Chrome.
I
guess

somebody

hasn’t
paid
their
Trump
toll
yet.
[Law360]

*
Admin
also
dropping
sexual
abuse
charges
against
day
care.
Probably
found
a
place
for
the
Tate’s
to
work!
[Bloomberg
Law
News
]

*
Don’t
call
your
colleagues
“The
Idiot.”
An
idiot”
is
fine
and
probably
warranted
but
don’t
say
“the.”
[Legal
Cheek
]