Over 10,000 government lawyers depart as Trump reshapes federal agencies
WASHINGTON, DC: A deep-dive report by The New York Times, published on Sunday, May 31, revealed that thousands of government attorneys have left the federal administration since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
The mass departure is speculated to be connected with the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the federal agencies.
Trump admin experiences mass departure of legal talent
The in-depth report written by the NYT’s Andrea Fuller and Eileen Sullivan highlighted that one in five attorneys who worked in various agencies 18 months ago have called it off. The number of lawyers calling it off with the Trump admin is over 10 thousand.
The report also emphasized that the turnover rate was far higher than normal. While federal agencies brought on about 3,200 lawyers since the beginning of 2025, departures still outpaced hiring, the report claimed, quoting data.
“President Trump’s upheaval of the federal government has led to an exodus of more than 10,000 lawyers since the beginning of 2025, a striking loss of legal talent that has left some agencies pushing to find attorneys to carry out his agenda,” Fuller and Sullivan wrote.
The large-scale exits are attributed to “deep staffing cuts and the resignations of some staff members who objected to Mr Trump’s policies.”
Justice, defense and health departments saw highest departures
If you are a lawyer, are interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda, DM me.
— Chad Mizelle (@chad_mizelle) January 31, 2026
We need good prosecutors. And DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.
The Justice Department, which employs more than a quarter of all government lawyers, saw the largest decline in raw numbers.
The analysis found that more than 2,600 lawyers have left the Department of Justice, around 700 have departed the Department of Defense, and nearly 300 have exited the Department of Health.
Some agencies have been hit especially hard. The Department of Education has lost more than half of its legal staff, with 53% of its 645 lawyers leaving since the end of 2024.
The Trump administration has made it clear that people working in government are expected to be aligned with the administration's agenda and priorities.
In a January X post, Chad Mizelle, former Department of Justice chief of staff under Trump, solicited attorneys who are on board with the administration.
“If you are a lawyer, are interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and the anti-crime agenda, DM me,” Mizelle wrote. “We need good prosecutors. And DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.”
