As federal workers weigh a buyout offer from the Trump administration, many government attorneys are being faced with a tough decision of whether to stay or leave their agencies. Still, others who were laid off don't have a choice—adding more to the glut of attorney candidates in the D.C. legal market and beyond.

Legal recruiters and law firms say they are seeing a flood of candidates from the government, from attorneys who have been terminated, to those under probationary periods who are concerned about their job security, to graduating law students who have had their job offers with the federal government rescinded.