Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, along with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on the left and FBI Director Kash Patel on the right, spoke at a news conference at the Department of Justice on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. This was after Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, made his first court appearance as the suspected gunman from the White House Correspondents Dinner. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
A surprising new report shows that about one in five lawyers who worked for the federal government 18 months ago are no longer there.
An in-depth article by Andrea Fuller and Eileen Sullivan in the New York Times on Sunday revealed that there has been a large number of lawyers leaving various government agencies.
“President Trump’s changes to the federal government have caused over 10,000 lawyers to leave since the start of 2025, which is a significant loss of legal talent that has left some agencies struggling to find lawyers to support his agenda,” Fuller and Sullivan stated.
The reporters highlighted that the rate of people leaving is much higher than usual.
“The past year experienced major staff reductions and resignations from those who disagreed with Mr. Trump’s policies,” Fuller and Sullivan noted.
“These departures demonstrate how quickly the president has damaged the reputation of the federal government as the top choice for lawyers looking for public service jobs.”
The analysis from the Times indicated that over 2,600 attorneys have departed from the Department of Justice, about 700 have left the Department of Defense, and nearly 300 have left the Department of Health.
Additionally, some agencies have seen significant losses; for example, the Department of Education has lost 53 percent of the 645 lawyers it had at the end of 2024.
The Trump administration has made it clear that agreeing with their ideology is a requirement for employment.
In a post on X in January, Chad Mizelle, who was the chief of staff at the Department of Justice under Trump, reached out to lawyers who support the administration.
“If you are a lawyer, interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and the anti-crime agenda, DM me,” Mizelle wrote.
“We need good prosecutors. The DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.”
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