Attorney General Bondi suspends one-year experience requirement for federal prosecutors

Attorney General Pam Bondi's Department of Justice issues a memo suspending the long-standing requirement that all federal prosecutors have a minimum one year of post-law school legal experience. The suspension, effective immediately, allows U.S. Attorneys' offices to hire lawyers directly out of law school. The memo cites 'exigent hiring need for attorneys across the Department,' following approximately 5,500 employee departures (resignations, buyouts, and firings) during Trump's first months in office. Major U.S. Attorneys' offices in Montana, Alaska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Florida, and Louisiana begin posting job openings requiring only a law degree and state bar membership. The suspension is set to remain in effect through February 28, 2027. DOJ officials frame the policy as empowering 'young and passionate prosecutors,' though critics warn of erosion of professional standards and concern about hiring less-experienced lawyers unable to resist improper pressure.