News

CBCA Names Tara Mehrbach as Chief Counsel

Tara Mehrbach joined the Board in February 2020. She served as James A. Johnson, Jr.’s Deputy Chief Counsel until his retirement in September 2024. Tara began her legal career in the government contracts section of a major law firm before eventually transitioning to the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals where she first wrote decisions for Administrative Law Judges on Medicare appeals and ultimately served as an adjudicator deciding her own docket of cases submitted on the record. Tara earned her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Rutgers University, M.A. in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, and J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

CBCA Chief Counsel James A. Johnson, Jr., Retires

James A. Johnson, Jr., Chief Counsel to the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, retired on September 30, 2024. Mr. Johnson graduated cum laude from The University of Pennsylvania in 1976 with a B.A. in English and earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982. Following law school, he briefly worked in private practice and clerked for Judge Joseph V. Colaianni at the United States Court of Federal Claims before joining the General Services Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) in 1986. He moved to the CBCA when its predecessor boards merged in January of 2007. At the CBCA, Mr. Johnson was an expert in the process of editing Board decisions and other public-facing documents. His institutional knowledge was invaluable. He is retiring after more than forty years of service to the Federal Government. We thank Mr. Johnson for his many years of service and hard work, and will miss his friendship, unflappable good humor, many kindnesses, gentle wit, and charm. We wish him a very long and happy retirement.

CBCA Welcomes Two 2024-2025 Law Clerks

Ms. Alexis "Lexi" Darrow is a 2024 graduate of Penn State Law – University Park. While in law school, Ms. Darrow was the Editor-in-Chief of the Arbitration Law Review and a teaching assistant for Penn State Law’s Government Contracts Practice and Litigation course. She also interned at the Securities and Exchange Commission with both its Division of Trading and Markets and its Division of Examinations, and was a summer associate with the law firm Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig. Prior to law school, Ms. Darrow worked in management consulting at Accenture Federal Services. She received her B.A. in Government, with minors in Business and Communications, from The University of Texas at Austin in 2018.

Mr. Phillip Boldt is a 2024 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school, Mr. Boldt was a Senior Managing Editor for the Wisconsin International Law Journal and President of the Maritime Law Society. He also externed at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, and the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Aviation, Space, and Admiralty Litigation Section. Before law school, Mr. Boldt worked as a project engineer for The Boldt Company. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Olaf College in 2018.

CBCA Welcomes a Second New Judge

June 2024

Judge Elizabeth W. Newsom earned a B.A. cum laude in 1987 from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. with honors in 1992 from the George Washington University Law School, where she was a member of the George Washington Law Review. After law school, she clerked for Judge Lawrence Margolis at the United States Court of Federal Claims. Her career thereafter included positions in Government and private practice and as in-house counsel with two major defense contractors. She served for six years at the Department of Justice as a Trial Attorney, where she defended the United States primarily in contract disputes before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Court of Federal Claims. Judge Newsom also worked for thirteen years at Crowell & Moring in its Government Contracts group, where she rose through the ranks to become a partner. She subsequently joined Lockheed Martin Corporation, serving as Associate General Counsel from 2012–2014. From 2014–2018, she served as a member of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and from 2018– 2024, she was Deputy Chief Counsel for BAE Systems. Judge Newsom is a current member of the Editorial Board of the Public Contract Law Journal and a former Co-Chair of the D.C. Bar Government Contracts and Litigation Section. She became a member of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals on June 2, 2024.

CBCA Welcomes a New Judge

June 2024

Judge Daniel B. Volk earned a B.S. with honors and a B.A. cum laude in 2005 from the University of Maryland and a J.D. with honors in 2008 from the George Washington University Law School. A Presidential Merit Scholar at George Washington University Law School, he served as Editor in Chief of the Public Contract Law Journal. After law school, he clerked for former Chief Judge Edward J. Damich at the United States Court of Federal Claims from 2008–2010. Judge Volk then served with the United States Department of Justice National Courts Section, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, first as a Trial Attorney from 2010–2019 and then as Senior Trial Counsel from 2019–2024, litigating on behalf of the United States before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Court of Federal Claims. He appeared as counsel of record in approximately 140 cases and as principal appellate counsel on matters that originated with the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. In addition, Judge Volk taught a government contracts course at George Washington University from 2010–2016. He became a member of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals on June 2, 2024.