Completing this training will prepare you to represent federal workers. If you have already attended a previous session, this training is not required but will serve as a supplement.

The training will cover the basics of federal employment law with a specific focus on the rules governing Reductions in Force (RIFs), a critical topic with DOGE and OPM expected to orchestrate the RIF of tens of thousands of federal employees in the coming weeks. Even if you have already participated in a basics training, there will be new and valuable information provided.

To join this training, click “Volunteer for this Project.” If you are new to We The Action, enter your email address and click the green “Join” button. After signing up, check your email for a message from We The Action with the subject line: “You were selected to volunteer with We The Action!” This email will include the Zoom registration link for the training.

Recently, tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired or encouraged to resign — regardless of the importance of their roles, their qualifications, or their job performance. These efforts have the potential to undermine the integrity of the federal workforce and the services they provide to our communities. At a time when federal workers and the rule of law are under attack, lawyers have the power to take action. That’s why We The Action partnered with the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and others to launch Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network to mobilize our community of volunteer lawyers to assist federal workers.

Workshop Speakers:
- Daniel Rosenthal, James & Hoffman, Washington, DC
- Abigail Carter, Bredhoff & Kaiser
- Keir Bickerstaffe, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.

Danny Rosenthal litigates on behalf of workers and their unions. He also advises unions and non-profit organizations on various matters. Danny has often helped clients develop winning legal strategies to advance their interests. For instance, he led a team that relied on the public nuisance doctrine to obtain workplace protections from COVID-19, and he crafted a successful challenge to a regulation restricting overtime pay for federal government workers. Danny joined James & Hoffman in 2011. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Danny was named one of the 500 leading plaintiff employment and civil rights lawyers in the United States by Lawdragon from 2021 – 2024. He has been identified as a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers for labor and employment law in Washington, DC, in each year since 2018. Danny is a senior editor of the leading treatise on the Railway Labor Act, and he has published articles on topics including labor law preemption and public sector collective bargaining.

Abigail Carter is a member of the firm representing international and local unions in a wide variety of litigation before federal and state courts, administrative tribunals, and arbitrators. Her work includes representing clients in connection with employment discrimination, RICO, ERISA, union governance, and common-law tort and contract matters. In addition to her litigation practice, Abigail serves as labor counsel to several Washington and Baltimore area public sector unions, and in that capacity participates in negotiations and provides advice on a range of issues. Abigail has written briefs in the United States Supreme Court, in five federal courts of appeals, in numerous federal and state trial courts, as well as in administrative and arbitral tribunals; she has also argued on behalf of the firm’s clients in a wide variety of motion proceedings at the trial level in state and federal courts, and has argued appeals in state and federal appellate courts. Abigail has also represented clients at trial, and in arbitration proceedings. From March 2022 through June 2023, Abigail served as General Counsel of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), AFL-CIO.

Keir S. Bickerstaffe is a seasoned employment and civil rights attorney with over two decades of experience in both private practice and public service dedicated to protecting workers’ rights. At KCNF, Keir litigates on behalf of workers, with a particular focus on federal sector employment and equal employment opportunity laws. Prior to that, Keir served as Deputy Associate Solicitor in the Civil Rights and Labor-Management Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, where he led legal strategy and litigation efforts for multiple agencies within the Department. Keir is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, where he completed full-time internships with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the Human Rights Campaign, deepening his commitment to civil rights advocacy.

To join this training, click “Volunteer for this Project.” If you are new to We The Action, enter your email address and click the green “Join” button. After signing up, check your email for a message from We The Action with the subject line: “You were selected to volunteer with We The Action!” This email will include the Zoom registration link for the training.