A New York Times analysis of federal employment data found that more than 10,000 government lawyers—roughly one in five employed at the end of 2024—have left since the start of 2025, a striking loss of legal talent that has left some agencies struggling to carry out President Trump’s agenda. While agencies hired about 3,200 lawyers in that span, departures outpaced hiring, leaving the government with roughly 37,000 civilian attorneys by March 2026, a 17 percent decline; the Justice Department lost a fifth of its lawyers, and agencies like Education, Housing, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lost even greater shares, while the Department of Homeland Security was the only major agency to grow its legal ranks as it drove the immigration crackdown. Many departing and aspiring lawyers—deterred by deep staffing cuts, political pressure to pursue Trump’s retribution agenda, and shifting enforcement priorities—are instead flocking to Democratic state attorneys general offices and advocacy nonprofits that are challenging the administration in court, with officials like Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser noting that while states can “pick up some of the slack,” the situation is not sustainable and the country still needs a Justice Department staffed with high-quality talent that operates with integrity.

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