DOJ dangles massive signing bonuses for lawyers ready to fight ‘lawless’ cities far beyond DC
The Department of Justice is offering signing bonuses of up to $25,000 to recruit lawyers across the country to bolster legal battles against what one department official described as "lawless jurisdictions."
New job postings show the high-dollar bonuses are being offered through the DOJ Civil Division components that handle immigration lawsuits and investigations into transgender medical treatments, two of President Donald Trump's most contentious priorities, and highlight New York City, Raleigh, San Francisco and Dallas.
The hiring push comes as the Civil Division, the DOJ's most expansive division led by Brett Shumate, continues the resource-intensive task of defending White House policies in court as it faces hundreds of lawsuits, while also drawing scrutiny for employee departures and reported recruiting challenges.
The new recruitment strategy puts a spotlight on the pressure DOJ is facing to sustain its aggressive legal defense strategy, particularly in blue cities and states that it has accused of undermining federal authority, while also combating narratives that the department is struggling to retain staff.
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A DOJ official told Fox News Digital the hiring effort is not reflective of any internal strain but rather a way for the department to "look broader by enticing attorneys around the country who may not have considered" working for a D.C.-based federal agency.
"The department is expanding resources across the country to combat lawless jurisdictions and nationwide injunctions, and there is a need to attract candidates from those new areas," the official said, touting that Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act gave the DOJ "millions of dollars to hire more attorneys specifically for those efforts."
The offers come as blue states, civil rights groups and Democrats flood courts across the country with lawsuits challenging Trump's efforts to shrink and unify the executive branch, crack down on illegal immigration, implement tariffs and tighten policies surrounding election security and transgender people and more. Lower court judges have often stymied the administration's work.
The DOJ has chosen on rare occasions to raise the adverse rulings on an emergency basis with the conservative-leaning Supreme Court and won some two dozen cases — which represents a vast majority of the cases — when taking that route.
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The Civil Division, which is in charge of defending the civil lawsuits against the administration, has also been offering incentives to current lawyers, according to Bloomberg Law. The outlet said the division was offering new biweekly bonuses up to $220 through Thanksgiving because lawyers "keep fleeing" and because the division was "growing more desperate to stave off further departures of valuable legal minds" who are uncomfortable with Trump's priorities.
The DOJ official addressed concerns about an employee exodus in a statement to Fox News Digital, after The Financial Times also reported that more than a quarter of its nearly 13,000 lawyers have quit or been fired since the beginning of last year.
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The official attributed the departures, in part, to employees taking a "fork in the road" resignation option, which the Trump administration rolled out last year with the stated goal of reducing the size of government.
"This has allowed DOJ to run more efficiently and hire new employees who wholeheartedly believe in the work they’re doing," the official told Fox News Digital.
Assistant Attorney General Shumate told Fox News Digital in a statement he was "always looking for talented and qualified attorneys to advance President Trump's priorities and protect the American people."
"The Civil Division will continue to hire hardworking patriots from across the country and offer appreciation bonuses to our loyal attorneys who remain committed to our mission and upholding the rule of law," Shumate said.