The Office of the General Counsel (C-1) is part of the Office of the Secretary. As principal legal officer and advisor to the Secretary, it coordinates and oversees the work of the
Department's many legal offices, with approximately 80 lawyers and professional staff. Organizational Chart/Contact Information.
You may contact the Chief Counsels of DOT's
modal agencies by clicking on the name of the agency. These offices range in size from 2 to over 200 attorneys.
FAA, FHWA,FRA,FTA,MARAD, PHMSA,
RITA,
SLSDC
To contact the Chief Counsel of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, please call 202-366-9511. To contact the
Chief Counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, please call 202-366-1353.
CURRENT LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS
NEW As of January 1, 2008, the General Counsel announced a re-organization of two elements of the Office of General Counsel.
The former Office of Environmental, Civil Rights, General Law (C-10) has been divided into two divisions.
They are the Office of General Law (C-10), headed by Judy Kaleta as Assistant General Counsel, and
the Office of Operations (C-60), now headed by Ronald Jackson, Assistant General Counsel.
The Office of General Law is responsible for advice on issues involving EEO,
Personnel, Contracts, Appropriations, Ethics, Dispute Resolution, and Civil Rights.
The Office of Operations is responsible for advice on issues involving Homeland
Security/Emergency Operations, Grant Programs, Environment, Bankruptcy, Innovate Financing,
FOIA, and certain Maritime and Aviation issues.
NEW As of October 1, 2007,
the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security’s United States
Coast Guard (USCG) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be migrating from the Docket Management System (DMS)
to the government-wide Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)at http://www.regulations.gov.
Please Click Here
to see the Federal Register Notice regarding the Migration. DOT will be offering FDMS Informational session on October 3, 2007,
(2-4 pm for the public) and October 4, 2007, (9-11 am for the public) in the DOT Conference Center/Multi-Media Room,
West Building at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC.
If interested please Click Here to sign up for these sessions.
Several times per year the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for
Litigation publishes DOT Litigation News, which summarizes new cases
involving the Department, recent decisions, and significant developments in
pending cases. NEW The latest edition of DOT Litigation News (in Microsoft Word doc format) is available.
NEW Access to all DOT proceedings,
including rulemakings and adjudications, can be found at Regs.Gov. http://www.regulations.gov
Aviation economic orders and notices can be
found at http://docketsinfo.dot.gov/reports/reports_aviation.cfm. Significant aviation economic
orders and business review letters about U.S. air carrier citizenship can be
found at http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/businessreviewletters.htm.
Aviation Economic Sanctions/Restrictions in Effect.
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP!
Reporting waste, fraud, or abuse involving DOT contracts, grants, personnel, or regulatory programs
Office of Inspector General.
CADR works with organizations and individuals to increase knowledge,
quality, and use of ADR. The Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution works with organizations and individuals
to increase the knowledge, quality, and use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The Center
provides ADR services and is an information resource to both DOT ADR providers and users.
ADR is designed to assist parties in preventing and managing conflict and resolving differences. ADR involves
a neutral third party and is typically voluntary. ADR does not replace more traditional dispute resolution mechanisms,
but merely offers you an alternative. If an ADR process does not resolve a conflict, you retain all rights to revert
to more traditional approaches.
Statistics on flight delays, oversales, baggage problems, and consumer complaints.
Passenger rights and tips.
Rules and guidance, including guidance on fare advertising.
Carrier Compliance.
DOT Pro Bono Information Website (DOT Serves).
Provides information regarding DOT's pro bono service policy, opportunities for pro bono service in the Washington DC Metropolitan area,
and other useful and interesting information about pro bono work by DOT attorney.
Office of the General Counsel