Between reading a local blog and the local daily this morning, I'm kinda wondering what all the celebrating is all about. According to both, the law firm DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy is no longer representing the Tucson Unified School District. The law firm has received a share of criticism from deseg and Mexican-American studies supporters in how different aspects of the MAS administration court case was handled, as well as helping TUSD take an adversarial approach to the deseg process—which in the end hasn't been good for the district, for its kids and has cost the district a load of cash (the Star reported this morning more than $800,000).

But to declare that DeConcini is completely out is not just moronic, but may be wrong. According to a legal notice filed with the Ninth District Judge David C. Bury by DeConcini McDonald Yetwin and Lacy, two DeConcini attorneys remain part of the desegregation case. The new firm now representing TUSD and its attorneys were added today: "J. William Brammer, Jr., Michael J. Rusing, Oscar S. Lizardi and Patricia L. Victory of Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, P.L.L.C. associates as counsel of record for Defendant Tucson Unified School District in this matter along with Lisa Anne Smith and Sesaly O. Stamps of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C., and Nancy H. Woll of Tucson Unified School District Legal Department."

Here's a copy of the notice filed today in federal court:

TUSD_filing_re_attorney_association.pdf

Plus it's not like Brammer hasn't eaten at the DeConcini buffet before. According to a Yahoo Business Wire story filed on Feb. 6, 2013, Brammer, was appointed an Arizona Court of Appeals judge 15 years ago before leaving to joing Rusing Lopez and Lizardi. Before that ... yep, he worked for DeConcini McDonald Yetwin and Lacy and he worked on the TUSD desegregation case in those golden years. OK, well maybe the post-golden years.

Instead of throwing around vitriol for the masses, why look a little more closely and recognize it's just keeping it in the family and legal musical chairs, and what this means for the district, the deseg case and students in the district ... time will tell.