The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) legal staff provides advice and assistance on a variety of legal issues and matters relating to the OIG's review of Agency programs and operations. The Counsel to the Inspector General acts as the central official for the review and coordination of all legislation, regulations, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and legal matters requiring OIG attention.

The OIG legal staff provides advice and assistance to senior OIG management, staff auditors, inspectors, and investigators, and serves as counsel in administrative litigation in which the OIG is a party or has a substantial interest. The staff also assists the Justice Department in litigation in which the OIG participates as part of the prosecution team. The OIG legal staff is not a component of the NASA General Counsel's Office.