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BREADCRUMB

 1. Justice.gov
 2. Office of Legal Counsel




OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL



ABOUT THE OFFICE

By delegation from the Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and
all executive branch agencies.  The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney
General and provides its own written opinions and other advice in response to
requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the
Executive Branch, and other components of the Department of Justice.  Such
requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and
importance or those about which two or more agencies are in disagreement.  The
Office is also responsible for reviewing and commenting on the constitutionality
of pending legislation.

All executive orders and substantive proclamations proposed to be issued by the
President are reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel for form and legality, as
are various other matters that require the President’s formal approval.

In addition to serving as, in effect, outside counsel for the other agencies of
the Executive Branch, the Office of Legal Counsel plays a special role within
the Department itself.  It reviews all proposed orders of the Attorney General
and regulations requiring the Attorney General’s approval.  It also performs a
variety of special assignments referred by the Attorney General or the Deputy
Attorney General.

The Office of Legal Counsel is not authorized to give legal advice to private
persons.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Leadership

Christopher Fonzone
Assistant Attorney General

Contact

Office of Legal Counsel
202-514-2051

NEW FROM OLC

June 4, 2024:

 * Applicability of the Federal Credit Reform Act to Political Risk Insurance of
   Debt Issued by the United States International Development Finance
   Corporation (May 29, 2024)
   
   
   
   

May 16, 2024:

 * Questions Related to the Potential Rescheduling of Marijuana (April 11, 2024)

April 16, 2024:

 * Whether the United States Postal Service Bears Responsibility for the Cost of
   Certain Civil Service Retirement Benefits Paid to Its Employees (March 26,
   2024)

April 5, 2024:

 * Treasury’s Cash Balance and the August 1, 2021 Debt Limit (July 8, 2021)

December 1, 2023:

 * Application of the Statutory Pay Cap on Administratively Determined Pay in 5
   U.S.C. § 5373 to the National Science Foundation (November 29, 2023)

February 10, 2023:

 * Retaining Private Counsel to Represent the DHS Secretary in Impeachment
   Processes (January 4, 2023)

January 3, 2023:

 * Application of the Comstock Act to the Mailing of Prescription Drugs That Can
   Be Used for Abortions (December 23, 2022)

November 2, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Application of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to Diplomatic Visit of
   Palestinian Delegation (October 28, 2022)

October 28, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Federal Vacancies Reform Act’s Application to a Vacancy for Which Prior
   Presidents Submitted Multiple Nominations (October 21, 2022)

October 20, 2022:

The following opinions have been published:

 * Authority of the Department of Defense to Use Appropriations for Travel by
   Service Members and Dependents to Obtain Abortions (October 3, 2022)
 * Application of the Hyde Amendment to the Provision of Transportation for
   Women Seeking Abortions (September 27, 2022)

September 22, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Intergovernmental Immunity for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Its
   Employees When Providing Certain Abortion Services (September 21, 2022)

August 30, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Authority of a Majority of the FDIC Board to Present Items for Vote and
   Decision (July 29, 2022)

August 24, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Use of the HEROES Act of 2003 to Cancel the Principal Amounts of Student
   Loans (Aug. 23, 2022)

August 23, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Application of the Assimilative Crimes Act to Conduct of Federal Employees
   Authorized by Federal Law (Aug. 12, 2022)

January 26, 2022:

The following opinion has been published:

 * Effect of 2020 OLC Opinion on Possible Congressional Action Regarding
   Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (Jan. 26, 2022)

 

 



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