The office consists of approximately 200 permanent lawyers and approximately 100 ancillary staff, including specialist paralegals, contract analysts, secretaries and general administrative staff. While all are based in Washington, D.C., the firm`s lawyers also hold positions as legal counsel and associate counsel at the U.S. missions in Geneva and The Hague, as well as legal counsel positions at U.S. missions to the European Union in Brussels and the United Nations in New York. Occasionally, the office provides lawyers for other positions abroad. The Vice President is also President of the United States Senate, where he or she votes decisively in the event of a tie. Unless there is a tie, the Deputy Speaker rarely presides over the Senate. Instead, the Senate elects one of its own members, usually younger members of the majority party, to preside over the Senate each day. On behalf of the Attorney-General, the Deputy Attorney-General in charge of the Legal Aid Service advises the President and all executive authorities. The Office prepares the legal opinions of the Attorney General and issues its own written and other advice in response to requests from the President`s Adviser, the various executive agencies and other parts of the Ministry of Justice. These requests generally involve particularly complex and important legal issues, or on which two or more organizations disagree. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and advising on the constitutionality of pending legislation. In addition to acting as external legal adviser to other executive bodies, the Office of the Legal Adviser plays a special role within the Ministry itself.
It reviews all orders proposed by the Attorney General and regulations that require the approval of the Attorney General. It also performs various special duties assigned by the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General. The Office of the Legal Counsel advises on all legal issues at home and abroad in the context of the work of the Department. This includes assisting heads of the Department and policymakers in formulating and implementing U.S. foreign policy, as well as promoting respect for and development of international law and its institutions as a fundamental element of that policy. The General Counsel provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary and other senior departmental officials. The General Counsel is also the head of the Legal Division of the Treasury, a separate office within the Department that includes all Treasury legal advisers and their staff, with the exception of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Inspectors General`s Offices. The Homeland Security Act defines the attorney general as the chief legal officer of the department. As such, the General Counsel is ultimately responsible for all legal decisions of the Ministry and for the supervision of all its lawyers. The General Counsel is also the department`s regulator that manages the rule-making program and ensures that all Department of Homeland Security regulatory actions comply with relevant bylaws and implementing regulations.
All implementing regulations and substantive proclamations to be issued by the President are reviewed as to form and legality by the Office of the Legal Counsel, as well as various other matters requiring the formal approval of the President. Lawyers negotiate, draft and interpret international agreements on a wide range of issues, including peace initiatives, arms control talks, trade liberalization agreements, international commodity agreements, consular conventions, and private law conventions on issues such as judicial cooperation and recognition of foreign judgments. They also work with ministry officials on legislative initiatives, drafting and interpretation of national laws, departmental regulations, executive decrees and other legal documents. They represent or assist in representing the United States at meetings of international organizations and conferences and at many U.S. programs, and represent the United States. before international tribunals such as the International Court of Justice and the Iran-US Agreement Claims Tribunal as well as in international arbitration. Lawyers work closely with the Department of Justice in litigation in the United States and other countries affecting the interests of the department, and also have increasing opportunities to represent the department before national courts and administrative tribunals before the Foreign Service Grievance Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and in contractual disputes. Advice.