# DOJ Faces Attorney Staffing Shortfall

The Department of Justice is experiencing a significant reduction in attorney staffing, particularly within the Civil Division, amid a surge in caseloads. Internal DOJ data highlights a "massive exodus" of experienced attorneys, leading to overburdened remaining staff and urgent needs for increased hiring and funding to manage growing workloads in commercial and immigration litigation. This staffing crisis underscores critical procurement and human capital challenges for DOJ and its component agencies.

- Procurement professionals should anticipate increased demand for legal staffing services and support contracts to address attorney shortages.
- Contracting officers may need to prioritize rapid onboarding and flexible staffing solutions to mitigate workload pressures.
- Vendors specializing in legal staffing, training, and workforce management could find new opportunities with DOJ and related federal agencies.
- This situation signals potential expansions in contracts related to legal services, workforce augmentation, and operational support within DOJ and its components.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Professional Services
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 25, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP)

### Key Quotes
> Putting out this data seems to me like a desperate cry for help. It seems like the civil division knows how badly it needs more funds to hire more lawyers to make up for the purge of longstanding experts that they caused.
> — Stacey Young

> According to the Office of Personnel Management, the Justice Department has lost roughly 10,000 workers since the start of the Trump administration, a metric that includes component agencies like the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
> — Original poster

### Sources
- [Internal DOJ charts show agency bleeding staff as caseloads surge](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1wpuoez/internal_doj_charts_show_agency_bleeding_staff_as) - reddit-fednews