Washington AG Logs 34,000 Hours on Trump Lawsuits

State office spent over 3 years' worth of billable time fighting federal policies

Apr. 15, 2026 at 6:41pm

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A warm, cinematic painting depicting a solitary courtroom gavel resting on a wooden surface, bathed in diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conceptually representing the legal battles between Washington state and the federal government.The Washington Attorney General's office has dedicated thousands of hours to lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's policies, exposing the escalating legal conflicts between states and the federal government.Seattle Today

The Washington State Attorney General's Office has billed more than 34,000 hours, the equivalent of 3.9 years of full-time work, on lawsuits filed against the Trump Administration since November 2024, according to records obtained by The Center Square. The office has filed or joined 58 federal lawsuits against the current administration, with the AG leading or co-leading 22 of them.

Why it matters

The extensive time and resources spent by the Washington AG's office on these lawsuits highlights the ongoing legal battles between state governments and the federal administration, as well as the significant impact Trump-era policies have had on states. The case provides insight into the scale of legal challenges states are taking on to protect their interests and residents.

The details

The 34,000 hours billed represents a combined 1,416 days or 3.9 years of billable work by the AG's office. According to the office, there are 30 attorneys handling the litigation, which has targeted over 750 Trump administration actions through 338 pending lawsuits. The office has seen 19 cases ruled in their favor and 30 in favor of the federal government.

  • The 34,000 hours were billed since November 2024.
  • More than two-thirds of those hours were billed within a six-month period between July-October 2025.

The players

Washington State Attorney General's Office

The state government agency responsible for filing and leading the lawsuits against the Trump Administration.

Nick Brown

The Washington State Attorney General who has filed or joined 58 federal lawsuits against the current Trump administration, leading or co-leading 22 of them.

Jackson Maynard

The Executive Director of the Citizen Action Defense Fund who commented on the significant amount of time and resources the AG's office has spent on the Trump-related lawsuits.

Mike Faulk

The Deputy Communications Director for the Washington State Attorney General's Office who defended the spending as justified by Trump's actions.

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What they’re saying

“That's a significant amount of time even for an agency with 800 lawyers. For comparison a lot of private law firms have billable requirements for lawyers in the range of 2000-2400 per year. That's equivalent to 100 lawyers working full time on those cases.”

— Jackson Maynard, Citizen Action Defense Fund Executive Director

“The vast majority of the monetary expense of protecting Washingtonians from the illegal actions of the Trump administration is encompassed in the thousands of hours AGO staff have spent investigating and litigating these matters.”

— Mike Faulk, AGO Deputy Communications Director

What’s next

The Washington State Attorney General's Office will continue to monitor and litigate against any additional Trump administration policies or executive orders that they believe violate state laws or harm Washington residents.

The takeaway

This case highlights the extensive legal battles between state governments and the federal administration, as well as the significant resources states are dedicating to protecting their interests from perceived overreach by the Trump White House. It underscores the ongoing political divisions and tensions playing out through the court system.