Former Chief Federal Lawyers Sound the Alarm: Federal Employees Need Your Help

A call to action for legal aid

By Seema Nanda

Since January, the basic human dignity of hundreds of thousands of federal workers has been violated. The people who care for our veterans, inspect our food, water, and medicine, support our cities and schools, protect our health and safety on the job, and keep us safe during accidents and disasters are being recklessly and abruptly dismissed from jobs their families and communities rely on.

Last Tuesday, the crisis escalated. The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with Reductions in Force (RIF) plans at around 20 federal agencies and departments, allowing the firing of thousands more federal workers while litigation continues. As early as this week, workers have received emails that they have been “officially separated” from their jobs by the end of the next day.

The Supreme Court has ensured more pain to come from the chaos created by the Trump administration and its unaccountable DOGE, with ongoing massive job losses in the federal sector and extraordinary confusion and anxiety among federal employees. Every week more workers and their families are left wondering: is what’s happening to me legal? What are my rights? What will happen to my health insurance, my pension?

Federal workers’ unions and allied organizations are fighting back in court, but the thousands of workers affected need counsel to understand their rights and individualized legal guidance and support.

That’s why today, I am calling on all lawyers previously employed by the federal government—retired, resigned and RIFed—to come to the aid of their former colleagues. It’s going to take all of us.

I recognize that the hundreds of lawyers who have been abruptly terminated have also lost the means to support their families and are entering a difficult job market, and may themselves need counsel. But I also know that former federal government lawyers, with their own experience under federal employment rules, are uniquely able to provide advice to former coworkers now struggling to find their way through this difficult period.

As of today, those of us named below, former general counsels and solicitors from diverse federal departments and agencies, have written the following to all lawyers formerly employed by the federal government:

As former General Counsels and Solicitors of federal departments and agencies, we write to ask all lawyers previously employed by the federal government to come to the aid of their former coworkers.

Our own work as lawyers across all the critical services, protections, and benefits provided by the federal government was supported by hundreds of thousands of dedicated, skilled and experienced federal employees. Now, those employees need our help.

The actions of the current administration have led to massive job losses in the federal sector and extraordinary confusion and anxiety among federal employees. These employees need counsel to understand their rights and how best to cope with a very challenging situation.

All lawyers formerly employed by the federal government (who maintain an active license in any state) can help provide such counsel.

We ask you to go to Rise Up: Federal Employees Legal Defense Network (https://workerslegaldefense.org/) and volunteer. No prior experience with federal employment law is required; the Legal Defense Network provides the training and support necessary. Your commitment is simply to provide a pro bono consultation to a federal employee. Whether you are retired, looking for a new opportunity, or currently working, you can help provide this crucial assistance.

Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for the mutual aid and support you will provide your former colleagues.

Jennifer Abruzzo

General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, 2021–25

Robert Anderson

Solicitor of the Department of Interior, 2021–25

Geoffrey Aronow

Chief Counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission, 2013–14

Samuel Bagenstos

General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, 2022–24

Lisa Brown

General Counsel of the Department of Education, 2021–25

Alex DeMots

General Counsel of the General Services Administration, 2023–25

Lynn Eisenberg

General Counsel of the Office of Personnel Management, 2021–22

Fred Feinstein

General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, 1994–99

Arthur J. Fried

General Counsel of the Social Security Administration, 1995–2000

Seth Frotman

General Counsel of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 2021–25

Avi Garbow

General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency, 2013–17

Arpit Garg

General Counsel of the General Services Administration, 2022–23

Karla Gilbride

General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2023–25

Richard Griffin

General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, 2013–17

Anthony Herman

General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission, 2011–13

Ruchi Jain

General Counsel of the Peace Corps, 2023–25

General Counsel of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2022

Harold Hongju Koh

Legal Adviser for the Department of State, 2009–13

Fernando Laguarda

General Counsel of Americorps, 2021–24

Emma Leheny

Acting General Counsel of the Department of Education, 2021

John Leshy

Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, 1993–2001

David Lopez

General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2010–16

Kara Lynum

Acting General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, 2024–25

Webb Lyons

General Counsel of the Office of Personnel Management, 2023–25

Jonathan Meyer

General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, 2021–24

Alberto Mora

General Counsel, Department of the U.S. Navy, 2001–06

Seema Nanda

Solicitor of the Department of Labor, 2021–25

Lawrence Noble

General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission, 1987–2000

William B. Schultz

General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, 2011–16

Patricia Smith

Solicitor of the Department of Labor, 2010–17

Lafe Solomon

Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, 2010–13

Thomas Stock

Acting General Counsel and General Counsel of the Federal Mine Safety and Health

Review Commission, 2002–06

Katie Thomson

General Counsel of the Department of Transportation, 2014–16

Willard Tom

General Counsel of the Federal Trade Commission, 2009–12

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Seema Nanda is a former Solicitor of the Department of Labor.