Nick Bednar
@nicholasbednar.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Law; Affiliated Professor of Political Science at U. of Minnesota. AdLaw, Admin. Capacity, and the Federal Workforce. Contributing Editor for Lawfare; Nonresident Fellow at Brookings. Signal: Nbednar.46
Opinions are my own; Not UMN.
Opinions are my own; Not UMN.
Pinned
Civil Service
The federal government employs approximately 3 million individuals, making it the largest employer in the United States. Most of these employees enjoy tenure protections under the civil service law…
nbednar.com
By request, I updated my website with a list of all the essays and podcasts I have done on the civil service. I'll keep it updated as I write and speak.
nbednar.com/civil-servic...
nbednar.com/civil-servic...
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Judge Menendez denies Minnesota plaintiffs’ request to end Operation Metro Surge because they don’t meet the high bar set by the 10th Amendment, but she also points to what she doesn’t decide, including the legality of what ICE is doing on the ground.
January 31, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Judge Menendez denies Minnesota plaintiffs’ request to end Operation Metro Surge because they don’t meet the high bar set by the 10th Amendment, but she also points to what she doesn’t decide, including the legality of what ICE is doing on the ground.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
I'm not sure this has precise relevance to labor law, but I'm definitely putting it in my slides.
January 31, 2026 at 4:16 PM
I'm not sure this has precise relevance to labor law, but I'm definitely putting it in my slides.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Important essay by my @umnlawschool.bsky.social colleague:
"The shootings of Good and Pretti were not mandated by the Constitution. But they were made possible, legible, defensible, and even absorbable, by a constitutional order more comfortable debating its limits than enforcing them."
"The shootings of Good and Pretti were not mandated by the Constitution. But they were made possible, legible, defensible, and even absorbable, by a constitutional order more comfortable debating its limits than enforcing them."
From Minneapolis, what many describe as a constitutional crisis looks very different on the ground.
EMMANUEL MAULEÓN on racialised suspicion, the erosion of Fourth Amendment protections, and the shift of state violence from the margins to the center.
verfassungsblog.de/a-letter-fro...
EMMANUEL MAULEÓN on racialised suspicion, the erosion of Fourth Amendment protections, and the shift of state violence from the margins to the center.
verfassungsblog.de/a-letter-fro...
January 31, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Important essay by my @umnlawschool.bsky.social colleague:
"The shootings of Good and Pretti were not mandated by the Constitution. But they were made possible, legible, defensible, and even absorbable, by a constitutional order more comfortable debating its limits than enforcing them."
"The shootings of Good and Pretti were not mandated by the Constitution. But they were made possible, legible, defensible, and even absorbable, by a constitutional order more comfortable debating its limits than enforcing them."
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Working on your PhD? Looking for dissertation funding?
The Russell Sage Foundation and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research jointly support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline.
#Fundsocsci, #Econsky, @russellsagefdn.bsky.social
The Russell Sage Foundation and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research jointly support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline.
#Fundsocsci, #Econsky, @russellsagefdn.bsky.social
January 31, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Working on your PhD? Looking for dissertation funding?
The Russell Sage Foundation and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research jointly support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline.
#Fundsocsci, #Econsky, @russellsagefdn.bsky.social
The Russell Sage Foundation and the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research jointly support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline.
#Fundsocsci, #Econsky, @russellsagefdn.bsky.social
Reposted by Nick Bednar
🚨TONIGHT’S PROTEST IN MINNEAPOLIS IS INSANE:
CNN is STUNNED. Share this widely!
“I've covered many protests… I've not seen a crowd like this before.” It’s 8 degrees. “It is freezing, but nothing, nothing is stopping these people.”
This isn’t a rally. It’s a movement. @calltoactivism.bsky.social
CNN is STUNNED. Share this widely!
“I've covered many protests… I've not seen a crowd like this before.” It’s 8 degrees. “It is freezing, but nothing, nothing is stopping these people.”
This isn’t a rally. It’s a movement. @calltoactivism.bsky.social
January 31, 2026 at 12:59 AM
🚨TONIGHT’S PROTEST IN MINNEAPOLIS IS INSANE:
CNN is STUNNED. Share this widely!
“I've covered many protests… I've not seen a crowd like this before.” It’s 8 degrees. “It is freezing, but nothing, nothing is stopping these people.”
This isn’t a rally. It’s a movement. @calltoactivism.bsky.social
CNN is STUNNED. Share this widely!
“I've covered many protests… I've not seen a crowd like this before.” It’s 8 degrees. “It is freezing, but nothing, nothing is stopping these people.”
This isn’t a rally. It’s a movement. @calltoactivism.bsky.social
Reposted by Nick Bednar
A report from The Partnership for Public Service warned that the adoption of a plan formerly known as Schedule F would not fulfill the Trump administration’s stated ambitions of making agencies more effective and responsive, and could instead cost hundreds of millions of dollars. buff.ly/xHEYFKt
Schedule F won’t fix government’s performance management problems, report finds
The Partnership for Public Service warned that, contrary to proponents’ claims, there is “no evidence” that at-will employment improves employee or agency performance.
buff.ly
January 30, 2026 at 10:45 PM
A report from The Partnership for Public Service warned that the adoption of a plan formerly known as Schedule F would not fulfill the Trump administration’s stated ambitions of making agencies more effective and responsive, and could instead cost hundreds of millions of dollars. buff.ly/xHEYFKt
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Minneapolis in protest of federal immigration enforcement for the second consecutive Friday.
📷️: Aaron Lavinsky
📷️: Aaron Lavinsky
January 30, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Minneapolis in protest of federal immigration enforcement for the second consecutive Friday.
📷️: Aaron Lavinsky
📷️: Aaron Lavinsky
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Protesters carried a giant rendition of the U.S. Constitution through downtown Minneapolis on Friday, chanting "ICE out now."
📷️: Kyeland Jackson
📷️: Kyeland Jackson
January 30, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Protesters carried a giant rendition of the U.S. Constitution through downtown Minneapolis on Friday, chanting "ICE out now."
📷️: Kyeland Jackson
📷️: Kyeland Jackson
Reposted by Nick Bednar
In 1 hour, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @mollyroberts.bsky.social, and @ericcolumbus.bsky.social will discuss the FBI searching a election office in Fulton County, Georgia, the arrest of protestors in Minnesota, and more live on YouTube.
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, Jan. 30
YouTube video by Lawfare
youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:00 PM
In 1 hour, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @mollyroberts.bsky.social, and @ericcolumbus.bsky.social will discuss the FBI searching a election office in Fulton County, Georgia, the arrest of protestors in Minnesota, and more live on YouTube.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:
January 30, 2026 at 4:55 PM
The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Since @bbkogan.bsky.social solved my longstanding linguistic problem of how to describe when a funding measure expires last fall ("midnight as Saturday begins"), I can now focus all of my pedantic energy on the difference between a lapse in appropriations and a shutdown.
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Since @bbkogan.bsky.social solved my longstanding linguistic problem of how to describe when a funding measure expires last fall ("midnight as Saturday begins"), I can now focus all of my pedantic energy on the difference between a lapse in appropriations and a shutdown.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Q: So you're not pulling back in Minnesota?
TRUMP: No no. Not at all.
TRUMP: No no. Not at all.
January 30, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Q: So you're not pulling back in Minnesota?
TRUMP: No no. Not at all.
TRUMP: No no. Not at all.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
For today's bonus issue of "One First," I wanted to follow up on a post from last August that looked at legal pedagogy and the dual state by reflecting on the relationship between legal *scholarship* and governmental lawlessness—with a particular focus on how I think about my own work:
Bonus 206: Legal Scholarship and the Dual State
A few thoughts on the responsibilities of legal academics in a time of increasing governmental lawlessness.
www.stevevladeck.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:43 PM
For today's bonus issue of "One First," I wanted to follow up on a post from last August that looked at legal pedagogy and the dual state by reflecting on the relationship between legal *scholarship* and governmental lawlessness—with a particular focus on how I think about my own work:
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Federal agencies are pushing back on OPM’s plan to overhaul performance ratings, saying forced distributions and top-score limits could harm missions and trust in evaluations. via Erich Wagner and Eric Katz buff.ly/ld41JUE
Agencies internally pan OPM’s bid to overhaul federal performance management
At the White House’s request, the federal government’s dedicated HR agency has updated its proposal limiting how many employees agencies can rate as above average to narrow the methods by which…
www.govexec.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Federal agencies are pushing back on OPM’s plan to overhaul performance ratings, saying forced distributions and top-score limits could harm missions and trust in evaluations. via Erich Wagner and Eric Katz buff.ly/ld41JUE
Reposted by Nick Bednar
I keep seeing posts going "when ICE comes to MY city, we'll be out in the streets even harder" and man, I get that sentiment but I need everyone to understand that the work in Minneapolis is partly confrontational but MORE IMPORTANTLY aaallll the stuff organized in the background to help neighbors
January 29, 2026 at 4:16 PM
I keep seeing posts going "when ICE comes to MY city, we'll be out in the streets even harder" and man, I get that sentiment but I need everyone to understand that the work in Minneapolis is partly confrontational but MORE IMPORTANTLY aaallll the stuff organized in the background to help neighbors
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Why is ICE responding to protests with repression?
ICE’s institutional culture is the problem.
Read the latest from @hsulli.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/why-ice...
ICE’s institutional culture is the problem.
Read the latest from @hsulli.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/why-ice...
Why ICE is responding to protests with repression
Why ICE is responding to protests with repression. ICE’s institutional culture is the problem.
goodauthority.org
January 29, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Why is ICE responding to protests with repression?
ICE’s institutional culture is the problem.
Read the latest from @hsulli.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/why-ice...
ICE’s institutional culture is the problem.
Read the latest from @hsulli.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/why-ice...
Reposted by Nick Bednar
I don't write about politics, but as a Minnesotan, I endorse this message from @chkbal.bsky.social 100%. Conditions here are grim, folks. Whatever your views on immigration policy, what ICE & CPB are doing to this community is unAmerican. They need to stop.
See the Society for the Rule of Law Institute's statement on the situation in Minneapolis.
societyfortheruleoflaw.org/statement-on...
societyfortheruleoflaw.org/statement-on...
Statement on the Federal Actions in Minneapolis - Society for the Rule of Law
The Society for the Rule of Law Institute released the following statement regarding the ongoing federal actions in Minneapolis: The Society for the Rule of Law Institute expresses its deep concern wi...
societyfortheruleoflaw.org
January 27, 2026 at 4:10 PM
I don't write about politics, but as a Minnesotan, I endorse this message from @chkbal.bsky.social 100%. Conditions here are grim, folks. Whatever your views on immigration policy, what ICE & CPB are doing to this community is unAmerican. They need to stop.
Let's take a bunch of visitors to a meat raffle.
This is Brad Lander doing pulltabs in the Uptown VFW. He’s one of us now
January 29, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Let's take a bunch of visitors to a meat raffle.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Ugh. Fml. Fine.
A friend shared with me a girl scout cookie link from a group that's having a hard time selling in Minneapolis right now.
digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop5...
digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop5...
Order your Faves on my Digital Cookie Site Today
That's right! You can order your favorite Girl Scout Cookies from me online, all while helping my troop and I do great things in our community and beyond! Check it out.
digitalcookie.girlscouts.org
January 29, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Ugh. Fml. Fine.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Proud and humbled to see Minnesota's US District Court judges (including my former boss) standing up for justice and the rule of law. I learned a lot about law and justice in Tunheim's chambers.
“Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause in their homes or on their way to religious services…” said Judge John R. Tunheim
Judge Orders Release of Minnesota Refugees Targeted in ICE Crackdown
www.nytimes.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Proud and humbled to see Minnesota's US District Court judges (including my former boss) standing up for justice and the rule of law. I learned a lot about law and justice in Tunheim's chambers.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
“Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause in their homes or on their way to religious services…” said Judge John R. Tunheim
Judge Orders Release of Minnesota Refugees Targeted in ICE Crackdown
www.nytimes.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:24 AM
“Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause in their homes or on their way to religious services…” said Judge John R. Tunheim
Lot of @umnlawschool.bsky.social at tonight's @cnn.com townhall asking questions of city leaders.
January 29, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Lot of @umnlawschool.bsky.social at tonight's @cnn.com townhall asking questions of city leaders.
Reposted by Nick Bednar
Your regular reminder that civil service protections are generally popular because they result in better service delivery! Nothing is more wasteful than poorly run patronage systems!
There is a push for making public sector employees at will, i.e. they can be fired for any reason by politicians. Trump shows how such powers will be abused. This report does a great job of debunking claims that at will employement is working at the state level.
ourpublicservice.org/publications...
ourpublicservice.org/publications...
At-Will Employment: What the Federal Government Can Learn from States
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.
ourpublicservice.org
January 28, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Your regular reminder that civil service protections are generally popular because they result in better service delivery! Nothing is more wasteful than poorly run patronage systems!
Reposted by Nick Bednar
A coalition of civil servant unions and local governments late Tuesday sued to block an alleged plan by FEMA to halve its workforce. buff.ly/TGyluMf
January 28, 2026 at 8:51 PM
A coalition of civil servant unions and local governments late Tuesday sued to block an alleged plan by FEMA to halve its workforce. buff.ly/TGyluMf