PSJD News Digest – June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025 at 3:43 pm · Filed under Public Interest Law News Bulletin

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Photo: Harris and Ewing Collection, Library of Congress

Hi Interested Public,

Welcome to the end of another week. In DC, the Senate’s proposed budget reconciliation would significantly reduce Congress’ official role in restructuring executive agencies, while the Department of Justice saw thousands of additional staff take buyout offers. A report on the state of the nonprofit sector indicates many leaders expect to experience increased demand for their services while a significant proportion of them are already facing operating deficits. District courts issued additional orders against the Trump Administration in a variety of cases–including one that would see them reinstate legal services for families separated at the border. At the state level, a Texas court preliminarily blocked that state’s Attorney General from implementing oversight policies that would have given him significantly more control over the actions of locally-elected district attorneys.

As always, these stories and more are in the links below. Solidarity,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

  • Senate reconciliation bill would give Trump ‘carte blanche’ to reorganize agencies, lay off feds (Government Executive; 17 Jun 2025)

    “[A] provision added to the Senate iteration of Republicans’ proposed budget reconciliation package would give the White House $100 million to reorganize federal agencies as President Trump sees fit, without congressional input in what critics decried as an “abrogation” of Congress’ power and responsibility…The measure requires the White House to submit an annual report of planned reorganizational moves, but otherwise exempts the administration from most provisions of the federal law governing such actions. And the 10-year reorganization authority could not be used by a future Democratic president to rebuild federal agencies, thanks to language requiring reorganizations be cost-neutral and not “result in an increase in the number of federal agencies.””

Federal RIFs & Grant Cancellations

  • Justice Department to Lose 4,500 Staffers to Buyout Offers (Bloomberg Law; 16 Jun 2025)

    “Approximately 4,500 Justice Department employees have accepted the Trump administration’s offer to participate in its deferred resignation program, according to new budget documents…DOJ offices have seen widespread resignations of career attorneys since President Donald Trump took office…More than two-thirds of the roughly 380 career lawyers at the civil rights division, which enforces anti-discrimination laws, have left or been reassigned since January…The administration would like to shrink the civil rights division from 626 total positions, including 386 attorneys, to 353 positions, including 193 attorneys, according to the budget summary. The administration is also eyeing staffing cuts in other DOJ offices. The document proposes cutting 113 positions next fiscal year from the Environment and Natural Resources Division, a roughly 30% reduction.”

  • DOJ to cut more Criminal Division prosecutor roles (Global Investigations Review; 20 Jun 2025)

    “In its 2026 budget request, the Department of Justice has significantly reduced the number of prosecutors at the Criminal Division, slashing the number of overseas postings.”

Civil Society

Non-Federal Funding

Student Debt & Other Student Concerns

Conflicts Over Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Access to Justice