Trump Administration Loses 10,000 Federal Lawyers as 1 in 5 Exit by March
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Trump Administration Loses 10,000 Federal Lawyers as 1 in 5 Exit by March
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 31
More than 10,000 federal lawyers left the government since the start of 2025, leaving some agencies scrambling to find attorneys to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda.
One in five lawyers on the federal payroll at the end of 2024 had departed by March, according to a New York Times analysis of federal employment data.
Deep staffing cuts, normal retirements and resignations by lawyers who opposed Trump’s policies drove the losses, accelerating a break from the federal government’s long-standing appeal to public-service-minded attorneys.
Democratic state attorneys general and nonprofits challenging administration policies are absorbing some of that talent; Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said he hired 22 federal lawyers in the past year.
Law schools are also seeing wariness toward federal service, with students and faculty reporting that aspiring lawyers are increasingly looking outside the Trump administration for career paths.
As thousands of lawyers exit federal service, is the balance of legal power shifting from Washington to the states?
Can financial bonuses and relaxed hiring standards rebuild the government’s depleted legal ranks with top-tier talent?
The DOJ Lawyer Exodus: How the Loss of Over 3,300 Attorneys Under Trump Reshaped Federal Law Enforcement (2025-2026)
Overview
Between January 2025 and March 2026, the Department of Justice faced a major exodus of federal lawyers, leading to significant operational challenges. This loss created a strain on existing resources and made it urgent to replenish legal expertise. Despite aggressive recruitment efforts, offices like the Office of Immigration Litigation struggled to attract enough new talent, hiring no more than 30 lawyers during this period. As a result, remaining staff faced increased caseloads and growing backlogs, while the loss of institutional knowledge and specialized expertise further reduced the department’s efficiency and effectiveness.