Beyond the FAR Podcast

In this episode of Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman speaks with Sam Le, former SBA Director of Policy, Planning, and Liaison, to examine the state of U.S. federal small business contracting amid unprecedented regulatory change. Together, they unpack the FAR overhaul, the legality and implications of the Model Deviations, the shifting understanding of small business success metrics, and the expanding pressure created by consolidation under GSA. Lee offers historical context, policy insights, and a candid assessment of how these changes may affect competition, compliance, and the overall health of the small business industrial base.  Follow Sam Le on his substack: https://www.govconintelligence.com/

In this episode of Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman speaks with Bonnie Evangelista, Karen Thornton, and John Willison about the “talent valley of death” facing U.S. federal acquisition. As sweeping policy reform—including the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul—promises speed, innovation, and empowered contracting officers, the panel asks whether the acquisition workforce is prepared to carry it forward. They examine persistent challenges in cultivating critical thinking, experiential learning, cross-agency mobility, and mission-driven culture. A central question emerges: Can meaningful reform succeed without first investing in people? Their conversation underscores the need to redefine education, leadership, and talent development to ensure reform endures.

On September 9, 2025 GW Law School’s Government Procurement Law program hosted a free one-hour webinar on potential reforms to U.S. government bid protests. Our panelists discuss the en banc decision in Percipient.ai from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a key report on bid protests by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, revealing data on bid protests gathered by the ABA Public Contract Law Section, and a wide range of reform proposals being debated before Congress.  Learn more at: https://publicprocurementinternational.com/gw-law-webinar-u-s-bid-protests-progress-and-reform/

In this inaugural episode of Beyond the FAR, Associate Dean Jessica Tillipman speaks with Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells of the University of Bristol Law School, a leading scholar in public procurement and digital transformation. Their conversation explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping procurement systems, the challenges of regulating AI use in government, and the risks of overreliance on generative models. Comparing U.S. and EU approaches, Sanchez-Graells highlights the tension between innovation, accountability, and public trust. This thoughtful exchange provides lawyers, law students, and practitioners with critical insight into the future of procurement law in the age of AI.

Open contracting transforms government spending by making procurement data accessible and machine-readable, enabling better analysis and improved outcomes for citizens. This foundational webinar explores how data transparency and digital innovation are revolutionizing the world's largest marketplace through goal-driven, citizen-centered reforms.• Public procurement represents 12% of global GDP, shaping essential services from infrastructure and healthcare to education• Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing procurement, requiring new frameworks for oversight, IP rights, and supply chain transparency• Ukraine's reformed procurement system saves $1 billion annually with 80% of contracts going to small businesses• Bogotá transformed its school meals program through data-driven purchasing, improving quality while busting price-fixing• Open contracting principles support environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and better value across government spending• Upcoming regional webinars will showcase innovations from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas• Data accessibility enables businesses, civil society organizations and governments to collaborate more effectivelyJoin us for our next sessions exploring regional innovations in open contracting from around the world. Register for the complete webinar series here: https://law-gwu-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C7gkrGdwRp2PMaAADKcyjA

On January 15, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) published its long-awaited Proposed Organizational Conflict of Interest Rule, as required by a 2022 statute - the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (P.L. 117-324). This webinar featured a panel of experts who discussed current OCI challenges, the proposed changes, and the impact it may have on future procurements.More information about the rule, as well as a video recording of the event, can be found here: https://blogs.gwu.edu/law-govpro/organizational-conflicts-of-interest-assessing-the-new-proposed-rule/

A webinar about rising protectionism in public procurement in the United States and the European Union. The panel addressed potential new protectionism in the Trump administration and the Court of Justice for the European Union’s landmark Kolin decision on access to the EU public procurement market.

Representatives from the government, whistleblower bar, and defense bar discussed recent developments in procurement fraud enforcement and compliance. For additional Program information, visit: https://blogs.gwu.edu/law-govpro/combating-fraud-in-government-procurement/PANELISTSCleveland Lawrence III, Partner & Co-Chair of the Whistleblower Rights practice, Mehri & Skalet, PLLCSara McLean, Assistant Director, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), Civil Division, Department of JusticeDavid B. Robbins, Partner and Co-Chair of the Government Contracts practice, Jenner & BlockMODERATORJessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Government Procurement Law, The George Washington University Law School

On November 19, 2020, Jessica Tillipman was the featured speaker at the ABA International Anti-Corruption Committee's monthly meeting where she discussed her research into the causes and consequences of small business compliance challenges. Her presentation focused on the heightened risks of corruption and fraud for small companies, and the related impact on U.S. government and World Bank procurements. She also discussed her proposed solution to these issues, which is detailed in her recent, co-authored publication: "The Compliance Mentorship Program: Improving Ethics & Compliance in Small Government Contractors." Available on SSRN at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3559458.This video is an excerpt of her presentation.

On March 31, 2022 the ABA International Anti-Corruption Committee, GW Law Government Procurement Law Program, and American University U.S. and International Anti-Corruption Law Program hosted a Virtual Roundtable Discussion: Tackling Demand-Side Corruption. The virtual roundtable discussion broadly addressed the issues surrounding demand side corruption: legislative initiatives that would allow the U.S. to prosecute corrupt foreign officials, transparency legislation that makes it harder to launder money in the United States, and new ideas on how to make it easier to forfeit the assets of oligarchs and kleptocrats and compensate their victims.Speakers: Paul Massaro*, U.S. Helsinki CommissionTom Firestone, Stroock & Stroock & LavanJessica Tillipman, The George Washington University Law SchoolScott Greytak, Transparency International, U.S. OfficeNancy Boswell, American University Washington College of Law*Paul Massaro serves on the staff of the U.S. Helsinki commission. The views expressed here are his own and do not represent an official position of the U.S. government.

Join a roundtable discussion with King’s College, London and George Washington University Law School’s Government Procurement Program, to review important lessons learned from procurement during the pandemic.

The European Commission is concerned that subsidies granted by non-EU governments to companies active in the European Union appear to have an increasing impact on the Single Market. Although the EU has tools at its disposal to address some of the distortions caused by foreign subsidies, the Commission is concerned that the existing tools do not fully address all possible distortions caused by these foreign subsidies, including in EU public procurement markets. In June 2020 the Commission therefore adopted a White Paper on Foreign Subsidies, which proposed ways to level the playing field and called for new tools to address this regulatory gap – the subject of this webinar.

On Dec 10, 2020, GW Law's Government Procurement Law Program hosted a webinar which discussed what may be the greatest challenge to public procurement in our lifetimes: delivering COVID-19 vaccines, worldwide. A panel of experts addressed distribution strategies in the United States and internationally, focusing on potential problems and their solutions.

The George Washington University Law School’s Government Procurement and National Security/Cybersecurity programs hosted a discussion about emerging threats and solutions in cybersecurity and public procurement.Panelists: Sandeep Kathuria (Leidos), Lisa Schenck (GW Law), Paul Rosenzweig (R Street Institute), Kate Growley (Crowell & Moring), Alexander Canizares (Perkins Coie), Moshe Schwartz (President, Etherton & Associates), Sam Singer (Boeing) and Christopher Yukins (GW Law)

On September 16, 2021, the GW Law Government Procurement Law Program co-hosted a webinar with the World Bank Office of Suspension & Debarment and the ABA International Anti-Corruption Committee where a panel of experts discussed the recently published Global Suspension & Debarment Directory, the first ever consultative resource on exclusion systems. Published by the World Bank Office of Suspension and Debarment, in partnership with the International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee, the Directory captures data and information on the exclusion systems of 23 different countries and institutions and is for anyone interested in learning about how these jurisdictions employ exclusion to prevent wayward suppliers from accessing public funds.CO-MODERATORSCollin Swan, Senior Counsel, World Bank Office of Suspension & DebarmentNikolaos Doukellis, Legal Consultant, World Bank Office of Suspension & DebarmentPANELISTSJuan Ronderos, Sanctions Officer for the Inter-American Development Bank Group and Co-Chair of the Debarment & Exclusions Subcommittee of the IBA’s Anti-Corruption CommitteeJessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Government Procurement Law at the George Washington University Law School and Co-Chair of the ABA Section of International Law Anti-Corruption CommitteeMirella Lechna-Marchewka, Attorney-at-Law, Wardynski and Partners, PolandCarlos Ayres, Founding Partner, Maeda, Ayres e Sarubbi Advogados, Brazil

A panel of attorneys from Morrison & Foerster, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. General Services Administration discussed career paths in government contracts law, featuring the varied perspectives of in-house counsel, government attorneys, and private practice lawyers.Speakers:•Anjali Chaturvedi (Assistant General Counsel, Northrop Grumman Corporation)•Robert Wu (Corporate Counsel, Northrop Grumman Corporation)•Dianne Coombs (Senior Counsel, Northrop Grumman Corporation)•Maria Swaby (Procurement Ombudsman, U.S. General Services Administration)•Vijaya Surampudi (Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice) (invited)•Sandeep Nandivada (Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP)•Caitlin Crujido (Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP)

Panelists discussed Brazil’s new procurement law and its move to open its procurement markets by joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.Professors Christopher Yukins & Victoria Christoff (GW Law) – IntroductionsJonas Lima (Jonas Lima Advocacia) — U.S./Brazil comparative overview and international biddingCristiana Fortini (Carvalho Pereira Fortini) – Brazil’s new law – an introductionCesar Pereira (Justen, Pereira, Oliveira & Talamini) – New law on criminal penalties and bid riggingMarina Maciel (BMA) — New law on environmental impactRicardo Campello (Licks) – Brazil joining WTO Government Procurement Agreement