Impact Docket – 3/17/26

Written By Zenab Youssef

Three unjust proposed rules. Four live comment trainings. Help build the legal record.

Whether you have 2 minutes or 2 days, join the fight. Keep reading for more context.

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🔴 The Moment We're In: Welcome to Weekly

Starting this week, the Impact Docket is going weekly. Every week, lawyers across this country are showing up — in courtrooms, statehouses, detention centers, and comment dockets — to defend the rights and democratic institutions that protect all of us. That work deserves a newsletter that keeps pace with it.

And this edition is a special one. Right now, three federal agencies are quietly proposing rules that would let the Attorney General shield DOJ lawyers from state bar accountability, force nonprofits to pass a political litmus test to keep their federal funding, and effectively end work authorization for asylum seekers — possibly for decades. These aren't hypothetical. They are open for public comment right now, and your comments build the legal record that courts rely on when these rules are challenged.

This week, we're making it easy. Four live comment trainings this week and next — each one walking you through exactly what the rule does and how to submit a comment that counts. Can't attend live? Use our comment templates and register anyway — you'll get access to additional resources to support your comments.

⚡ QUICK ACTIONS

📩 Comment Training: Stop the New "Litmus Test" for Federal Grantees

📍 L4GG.org/GSAComment | Thursday, 3/19 at 3 PM ET | Comment deadline: 3/30

The GSA has proposed a sweeping new rule that would force every organization receiving federal funding — nonprofits, universities, cities, state agencies — to certify under penalty of federal law that they comply with this administration's vague and legally dubious interpretation of anti-discrimination law, that they are not "harboring illegal aliens," and that they are not engaged in activities broadly designated as "terrorist."

If finalized, this rule could weaponize the False Claims Act against organizations pursuing entirely lawful activities — chilling free speech and forcing vital institutions to choose between their mission and their funding.

Join L4GG and the Legal Defense Fund to learn exactly how the public comment process works, get step-by-step instructions for submitting a comment that meets GSA requirements, and get your questions answered. The comment deadline is March 30.

Register at L4GG.org/GSAComment

⚖️ Comment Training: Stop DOJ from Shielding Its Lawyers from Ethics Accountability

📍 L4GG.org/DOJCommentTraining | Tuesday, 3/24 at 12:30 PM ET | Comment deadline: 4/6

On March 5, the DOJ published a proposed rule that would allow the Attorney General to intercept and indefinitely delay state bar investigations of DOJ attorneys. It's a direct assault on the disciplinary framework that holds all lawyers accountable — and an attempt to place government lawyers above the profession's own ethical standards.

The comment deadline is April 6 and the window to push back is narrow. Join L4GG and the National Women's Law Center for a practical training on what this rule does, why it threatens the rule of law, and how to submit an effective comment. Whether you've never filed a regulatory comment or you're looking to sharpen your advocacy, this session will give you the tools to act.

Register at L4GG.org/DOJCommentTraining

Can't make it on 3/24? We're also joining the Task Force for American Democracy for a training on this same proposed rule on Thursday, March 19 at 12:00 PM ET — register here.

Prefer to work on your own? Use our comment template at L4GG.org/DOJComment and send your submission confirmation to NPRM-comments@L4GG.org.

📋 Comment Training: Stop a Rule That Would End Work Permits for Asylum Seekers

📍 L4GG.org/AsylumWork | Wednesday, 3/25 at 12:30 PM ET | Comment deadline: 4/24

A newly proposed federal rule would effectively prevent many asylum seekers from obtaining work authorization. Under the proposal, USCIS would stop accepting initial work permit applications whenever the average adjudication time for asylum cases exceeds 180 days. Given current processing times, this would lock countless asylum seekers out of work authorization indefinitely — USCIS itself estimates it could take 14 to 173 years to resume accepting applications.

Join L4GG and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) for a training where experts will explain the proposed rule, discuss its impact on asylum seekers and legal service providers, and walk you through how to submit a meaningful public comment before the deadline.

This training is for attorneys, advocates, community organizations, and anyone interested in protecting access to work authorization for asylum seekers.

Register at L4GG.org/AsylumWork. 

Prefer to work on your own? Use this comment template and send your submission confirmation to NPRM-comments@L4GG.org.

We’ll be back next week with more ways to take action—but the work doesn’t stop here. 

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Zenab Youssef
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Impact Docket – 3/11/26