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NEW: In the Maryland census case, DOJ defends its handling of withdrawing the previous team of lawyers – they argue the AG has broad power to assign attorneys, and there won't be any prejudice, and say the new lawyers are already working on it assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6186… 
The judge in Maryland hasn't weighed in yet on the legal team swap. Recall that the judge in SDNY rejected the withdrawal, saying DOJ failed to follow the court's rules (but giving them a chance to try again)
UPDATE: The judge handling census citizenship Q cases in California just had a brief telephonic status conference. Per a lawyer on the call, the judge ordered DOJ to re-do its motions to withdraw the previous legal team, saying DOJ needed to comply with local court rules
There was some discussion of the status of the injunction the judge entered blocking the citizenship Q, and whether it's still in place post-SCOTUS — the lawyer (for the plaintiffs) told us they're working with DOJ on replacement injunction language in the meantime
The lawyer also said they advised the judge that the govt agreed plaintiffs in the CA litigation could join discovery that's going forward in the MD case re: equal protection/civil rights claims — individ. plaintiffs in CA are considering adding an equal protection claim
No deadline set for DOJ to refile its motion in the CA cases to withdraw the previous legal team, and no other deadlines set at the moment. The whole thing lasted ~20 minutes.
NEW: The judge in the Maryland census citizenship Q litigation has joined his colleagues in other states in *denying*, for now, DOJ's effort to withdraw the previous team of lawyers — he's asked DOJ for more specific info about the transition assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6188…
Judge Hazel noted the Maryland court's rules don't require withdrawing lawyers to provide "satisfactory reasons," compared to the rules in SDNY that got DOJ into trouble with the judge there. He also says he's not keen to let the plaintiffs decide who DOJ chooses to litigate
Hazel: "As a practical matter, the Court cannot fathom how it would be possible, at this juncture, for a wholesale change in Defendants’ representation not to have some impact on the orderly resolution of these proceedings" absent more assurances
The judge also said the new team of DOJ lawyers needs to be prepared to address arguments made by the previous team, and the extent to which they conflict with "recent developments" — bringing in new lawyers "does not create a clean slate," he wrote
STORY: The Justice Department's effort to swap legal teams in the census citizenship question cases is ... not going well so far buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
Judges in California, Maryland, and New York all told DOJ that their first attempt at withdrawing the previous team handling the census cases failed to comply with court rules, or, at a minimum, lacked enough info. They each said DOJ could try again. buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
