Nominations Update: Over 400 Positions Filled, Several Hundred to Go
President Biden has to fill roughly 4,000 politically appointed positions in the executive branch and independent agencies. Of these, roughly 1,200 require Senate confirmation.
DOJ, EEOC Launch Initiative to Combat AI Discrimination During Hiring Process
This week, the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) launched a new joint initiative to combat the disability discrimination in federal hiring.

New IG Memo Finds HR Deficiencies at DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a management advisory memorandum to leaders at the Justice Management Division (JMD) identifying a number of concerns with human resources policies and data. The memo notes several continued deficiencies initially identified in DOJ OIG’s October 2020 report on enhancing human capital titled “Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Justice 2020.”

DOJ Issues Memo on Gaps in Whistleblower Protections for Contractors
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) sent a management advisory memorandum to remind personnel about whistleblower rights and protections for contractors. Michael Horowitz, DOJ’s Inspector General, sent the memo to Michael Allen, who is the Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Senior Procurement Executive in the Justice Management Division.

EEOC Revises Memorandum of Understanding with DOL, DOJ
On November 2, 2020, the EEOC held a public meeting, its first of the fiscal year, to consider a new, revised version of its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Labor and Department of Justice. At the close of the meeting, the Commission voted 3-2, on partisan lines, to adopt the new MOU. The Republican majority rejected a dozen proposed amendments made by the Commission’s two Democratic commissioners.