OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL
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The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) was created under 28 U.S.C. 511-513, which in part provides that the Attorney General shall give his/her advice and opinion on questions of law when required by the President or by heads of executive or military departments.
The mission of OLC is to assist the Attorney General in carrying out his/her statutory responsibility of furnishing legal advice to the President and the heads of the executive and military departments, and to provide legal advice and assistance to other components of the Department of Justice upon request.
The major functions of OLC are to:
- Draft the Attorney General’s formal opinions and render its own opinions
on a variety of legal questions involving the operations of the executive
branch.
- Review all proposed Executive Orders, certain Presidential proclamations,
and regulations requiring approval by the President or the Attorney General
as to form and legality.
- Render opinions to the Attorney General and to the heads of the various
organizational units of the Department on questions of law arising in the
administration of the Department.
- Render opinions to the White House and to the heads of executive
departments and agencies on questions of law.
- Advise the Attorney General in connection with the review of the Board
of Immigration Appeals and other organizational units of the Department.
- Prepare reports on proposed legislation submitted to the Department for
comment, and reports to the Office of Management and Budget on enrolled bills.
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