Department of Law asks for three attorneys to meet surge in federal legal work; agency warns counsel demand exceeds capacity

The Colorado Department of Law asked the Joint Budget Committee to approve three full‑time attorney positions to absorb a portion of the department’s growing workload tied to recent federal executive actions and rapidly changing federal guidance.

Deputy Attorney General Kurt Morrison told lawmakers that the department has seen a large increase both in litigation (new suits, amicus briefs and interventions) and in the volume of legal advice sought by state agencies and institutions of higher education. Morrison said the department provided a memo in the committee binder summarizing litigation activity since Jan. 20 and that the new duties are not solely courtroom work but a sustained need for legal counsel to help agencies respond to shifting federal directives.

What Department of Law told the committee - Scope of the request: The department requested three FTE—described as a mix of Deputy Solicitors General and Assistant Attorney General positions—to address the new workload. Morrison said roughly 20–25% of…