Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.

08/26/2026

Federal employees facing discipline or termination may soon have fewer safeguards. A new DOJ opinion curbs the independence of the Foreign Service Grievance Board, the body that has reviewed whether agencies have enough evidence before disciplining or firing Foreign Service employees.

KCNF's George Chuzi spoke with Government Executive about what's driving the shift, tying it to the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. Slaughter on the president's removal power.

Read more:
https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/08/state-department-boards-ability-challenge-firings-undercut-doj/415612/

Critics of the decision say the Justice Department's opinion is another step in the Trump administration's goal of making it easier to fire federal employees who are not fully aligned with its policy goals.

08/25/2026

We are pleased to welcome Thomas Walker to KCNF as Counsel.

Tommy brings more than a decade of experience in senior legal roles with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he litigated employment matters and advised government leaders on complex workplace issues.

At KCNF, his experience advances the firm's mission to advocate for federal and private sector employees facing discrimination, retaliation, disciplinary actions, and other workplace disputes.

Learn more about Tommy and the experience he brings to our clients: https://kcnfdc.com/attorneys/thomas-walker/

08/21/2026

KCNF is looking for an Employment Attorney with a commitment to social justice, a passion for employment law, and a creative approach to litigation.

Responsibilities: Represent federal and private-sector employees before the EEOC, MSPB, OSC, and in state and federal court on matters involving discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower claims, sexual harassment, and more. You'll manage all phases of litigation, from strategy and discovery through motions, hearings, and trial.

Required Experience:
• 5+ years of litigation experience
• Experience in EEOC or MSPB hearings and/or court trials, preferably as first-chair
• A self-starter who thrives on a team
• Strong case management, research, and writing skills

How to Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and independent writing sample to [email protected].

08/20/2026

We're proud to share that seven of our attorneys have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Named to The Best Lawyers in America: Elaine Fitch, Mary K***z, George Chuzi, and Steve Pershing.

Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch: Anna Kathryn Barry, Sacred B. Huff, and Briana Imran.

Congratulations to all on this well-earned, peer-driven recognition.

08/06/2026

Many college students don't realize there's a difference between a public trust position and a security clearance — and that difference can shape their career options for years to come.

In the latest episode of Security Clearance Insecurity on Federal News Network, KCNF partner Elisabeth Baker-Pham and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs discuss what every college student should know before pursuing a career in national security, from understanding eligibility requirements to avoiding early missteps that can affect future clearance decisions.

Lisa’s advice: "If you know you're intending on a certain path, look at those guidelines—figure out what you need to be doing now to be preparing. Enjoy your present freedoms but always with an eye to the future."

Listen to the episode: https://kcnfdc.com/blog/what-college-students-should-know-before-pursuing-a-career-in-national-security/

Follow the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mhm1UsZWKs7AkGMR926pH

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-clearance-insecurity/id1781744194

07/31/2026

We're proud to share that four of our attorneys, Elaine Fitch, Mary K***z, Elisabeth Baker-Pham, and Keir Bickerstaffe, have been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers guide.

Now in its ninth edition, the guide recognizes advocates who fight for victims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, abuse of power, and other violations of their employment rights.

Congratulations to all the attorneys nationwide named to this year's guide on this well-deserved recognition.

See the full guide here: https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2026-07-24-the-2026-lawdragon-500-leading-civil-rights-plaintiff-employment-lawyers

07/29/2026

Reports indicate the EEOC plans to remove federal employees' right to request a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge.

Elaine Fitch provides more information here: https://kcnfdc.com/blog/major-changes-coming-to-the-federal-sector-eeo-process/

07/28/2026

Can the President fire a career federal employee without notice, a chance to respond, or any appeal? Two recent court decisions say no, at least for now.

After the Supreme Court's Slaughter decision this summer, the government argued it could remove career employees the same way it removes agency heads: for any reason, with no process required. But Slaughter was about a "principal officer," someone confirmed by the Senate and accountable directly to the President. Career civil servants are in a different category, and the protections built into the Civil Service Reform Act (notice, a chance to respond, and an appeal) still apply to them.

This distinction played out in two District Court cases this July, both siding with career employees who were removed without the process the law requires. The first case relied on longstanding precedent distinguishing principal officers from inferior officers. The second went further, addressing Slaughter head-on: the judge was direct that Slaughter changed the rules for agency heads, not for career employees, and the government cannot ignore civil service protections when firing someone, then claim those same protections were the employee's only available remedy.

A separate appeal is still pending before the Federal Circuit and could complicate the picture. For now, the law still protects career federal employees from being fired without due process.

George Chuzi breaks it down in our latest blog: https://kcnfdc.com/blog/the-civil-service-and-article-ii/

07/09/2026

On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court overturned Humphrey's Executor in Trump v. Slaughter, ruling 6-3 that the President's Article II power lets him fire FTC commissioners without cause. As Chief Justice Roberts wrote, "if anything more is left of Humphrey's, the Court overrules it."

But this ruling addresses principal officers, not the rank-and-file civil service. The Court left open whether Congress can still protect "inferior officers" (a category covering most federal employees).

That question now sits with the Federal Circuit, where two fired immigration judges are challenging an MSPB ruling that stripped their Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) due process rights. The full court agreed on June 17 to hear the case en banc, with briefing due by September.

Until the Federal Circuit rules, the CSRA remains in effect. We're watching this closely and will share updates as the case proceeds.

Read George Chuzi's full article here: https://kcnfdc.com/blog/how-safe-is-the-civil-service-after-slaughter/

07/06/2026

It was great to be part of the National Employment Lawyers Association's 2026 Annual Convention.

KCNF attorney Samantha Sloane moderated the breakout session, "Breaking Through with Implicit Bias Evidence," leading a thoughtful discussion with Anna Prakash and Qiaojing Ella Zheng on how attorneys can effectively incorporate implicit bias research into discrimination and harassment cases.

Thank you to NELA for bringing together such a collaborative and inspiring community. We're grateful to everyone who shared their insights throughout the conference.