Consistent with the President’s FOIA memorandum dated January 21, 2009, and the Attorney General’s FOIA guidelines dated March 19, 2009, OLC sometimes releases requested records as a matter of discretion, even if they fall within the scope of a FOIA exemption or have not been the subject of a FOIA request. To make such documents generally available when they are the subject of repeated requests or may be of public or historical interest, the Office may post them in this electronic reading room. Documents posted in this electronic reading room are being disclosed through discretionary release, but they have not been selected for official publication and thus they are not included among the Office’s formal published opinions at http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/opinions.htm. Although these records may be of public or historical interest, the views expressed in some of these records may not reflect the Office’s current views.
Memorandum Regarding Status of Certain OLC Opinions Issued in the Aftermath of the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 (January 15, 2009)
Memorandum Regarding October 23, 2001 OLC Opinion Addressing the Domestic Use of Military Force to Combat Terrorist Activities (October 06, 2008)
Letter to Associate General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Steven G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (November 7, 2007)
Letter to Associate General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Steven G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (November 6, 2007)
Letter to Associate General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Steven G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (August 23, 2007)
Memorandum Regarding Application of the Detainee Treatment Act to Conditions of Confinement at Central Intelligence Agency Detention Facilities (August 31, 2006)
Letter to John A. Rizzo, Acting General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Steven G. Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (August 31, 2006)
Memorandum for the Files Regarding Legal Review of Department of Defense Draft Documents Regarding Treatment and Interrogation of Detainees (April 13, 2006)
Memorandum for the Files Regarding Whether Persons Captured and Detained in Afghanistan are "Protected Persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention (August 5, 2005)
** Memorandum Regarding Application of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A to the Combined Use of Certain Techniques in the Interrogation of High Value al Qaeda Detainees (May 10, 2005)
** Memorandum Regarding Application of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A to Certain Techniques That May Be Used in the Interrogation of a High Value al Qaeda Detainee (May 10, 2005)
Letter to the Honorable William J. Haynes II, General Counsel, Department of Defense, from Daniel Levin, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (February 4, 2005)
Letter to John A. Rizzo, Esq., Acting General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Daniel B. Levin, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (September 20, 2004)
Letter to John A. Rizzo, Esq., Acting General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Daniel B. Levin, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (September 6, 2004)
Letter to John E. McLaughlin, Acting Director of Central Intelligence, from John D. Ashcroft, Attorney General (July 22, 2004)
Memorandum for the Files Regarding Voluntary Departure from Occupied Territory (July 16, 2004)
Memorandum for the Files Regarding Advice to the Department of Defense on Interrogations (May 11, 2004)
Memorandum Regarding Review of the Legality of the [President’s Surveillance] Program (May 6, 2004)
Memorandum Regarding Constitutionality of Certain FBI Intelligence Bulletins (April 5, 2004)
Memorandum Regarding Military Interrogation of Alien Unlawful Combatants Held Outside the United States (March 14, 2003)
Memorandum Regarding Response to the Preliminary Report of the ABA Task Force on Treatment of Enemy Combatants (February 7, 2003)
Memorandum Regarding Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (October 21, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Standards of Conduct for Interrogation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A (August 1, 2002)
Letter to the Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President, from John Yoo, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel (August 1, 2002)
** Memorandum Regarding Interrogation of al Qaeda Operative (August 1, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Applicability of 18 U.S.C. § 4001(a) to Military Detention of United States Citizens (June 27, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Determination of Enemy Belligerency and Military Detention (June 08, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Swift Justice Authorization Act (April 08, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding the President's Power as Commander in Chief to Transfer Captured Terrorists to the Control and Custody of Foreign Nations (March 13, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Potential Legal Constraints Applicable to Interrogations of Persons Captured by U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan (February 26, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Memorandum From Alberto Gonzales to the President on the Application of the Geneva Convention to Al Qaeda and the Taliban (January 26, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Application of Treaties and Laws to al Qaeda and Taliban Detainees (January 22, 2002)
Memorandum Regarding Possible Criminal Charges Against American Citizen Who Was a Member of the al Qaeda Terrorist Organization or the Taliban Militia (December 21, 2001)
Memorandum Regarding Treaties and Laws Applicable to the Conflict in Afghanistan and to the Treatment of Persons Captured by U.S. Armed Forces in that Conflict (November 30, 2001)
Memorandum Regarding Authority of the President to Suspend Certain Provisions of the ABM Treaty (November 15, 2001)
Memorandum for the Attorney General from John C. Yoo, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (November 2, 2001)
Memorandum Regarding Authority for Use of Military Force to Combat Terrorist Activities within the United States (October 23, 2001)
Memorandum Regarding Constitutionality of Amending Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to Change the "Purpose" Standard for Searches (September 25, 2001)
** Due to public interest in this matter, the Department of Justice is releasing these documents in the format in which they are currently available. The Department recognizes that some of these documents are not in an accessible format. If you have a disability and the format of any material on the site interferes with your ability to access the information, please email the Department of Justice webmaster at webmaster@usdoj.gov. To enable us to respond in a manner that will be of most assistance to you, please indicate the nature of the accessibility problem, your preferred format (electronic format (ASCII, etc.), standard print, large print, etc.), the web address of the requested material, and your full contact information so we can reach you if questions arise while fulfilling your request. The Department plans to post accessible versions of these documents as soon as they become available.
Policy Statements
The Office of Legal Counsel does not have any documents in this category.
Staff Manuals and Instructions to Staff
Preparation of OLC Opinions
Final Orders and Opinions
Opinions
![]() |
![]() |
Virginia Seitz |
Assistant Attorney General |
![]() |
Office of Legal Counsel |
(202) 514-2051 |