DOJ Offers Lawyers $25,000 Signing Bonuses as Hiring Lags

The Department of Justice seal on the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation building in Washington. — The Department of Justice seal on the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation building in Washington.
Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg

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By Benjamin Penn

May 5, 2026 at 5:01 PM UTC

Updated on

May 5, 2026 at 10:32 PM UTC

The Justice Department is taking a new tack to overcome hurdles in attracting qualified legal talent and to prevent current lawyers from leaving: offering signing and retention bonuses throughout the Civil Division.

New vacancy postings show signing bonuses of $25,000 are newly available to staff offices investigating youth transgender treatments and litigating the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.