When it comes to innovating federal business practices for R&D and delivering new capabilities a frequently identified roadblock to bettering processes are government lawyers. Government lawyers tend to err on the side of bureaucratic myth and lore over actual law, mandate and need.
In a recent conformation hearing the new Secretary of Defense used the term JAG-off to describe lawyers and other mid to senior level bureaucrats who put their own career trajectory over what is best for the warfighter, taxpayer, natsec, and the industrial base.
Government lawyers are in a unique position, as they are able to clear pathways to innovation and even lead from the rear. Instead of the commonplace knee-jerk reaction of saying “no”, government lawyers could take the time understand laws and intent, and say, “why not?”
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