Discussion (1L): Government Hiring and Firing

Catalog description

This discussion seminar will address the hiring and firing of federal agency officials, at the leadership level and below. It will draw from recent court decisions and ongoing litigation as well as from historical, social science, and policy materials. We will discuss some initiatives of the current Administration (including Schedule P/C, RIFs, and DOGE) and consider how they compare to the Clinton Administration's Reinventing Government efforts (including RIFs) and other past personnel initiatives. We will also focus on how to build talent in the government in a highly partisan environment and with increasing AI use, with special attention to lawyers. Commentators have long lamented the slow pace of hiring (at all tiers), the difficulty dealing with poor performers, and the lack of young people interested in pursuing a government career. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation. Class meets: 4:15 PM-6:15 PM on Sept. 16, Sept. 30, Oct. 14, Oct. 28.