By Jeffery Chiow and Lisa Himes (January 26, 2019, 10:39 AM EST) -- The longest-ever partial shutdown of the federal government has finally ended — at least for three weeks. But it will take some time to unwind. As lawyers who litigate in various federal courts and other federal forums, most often on behalf of government contractors, we share here our understanding of the shutdown's impacts on the resolution of legal disputes. This shutdown forced adjudicative bodies and government litigants to decide, with little notice, what they were required and/or permitted to do in the absence of congressionally appropriated funds. The impact of those decisions will be felt in the weeks and months ahead, and may prove instructive for the next shutdown....