Office of the General Counsel

The Office of the General Counsel provides legal services for the Secretary of Commerce and all the Department's operating units

The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the Department and legal advisor to the Secretary, Secretarial Officers, and other officers of the Department, including heads of operating units. The General Counsel directs the operation of ten offices that report directly to him and provides legal and policy direction to four additional legal offices that receive their funding and personnel allocations from their bureaus (the Patent and Trademark Office, the Economic Development Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration).

The General Counsel's immediate staff and the Executive Office provide legal and administrative support to the OGC legal offices, including financial management, procurement, human resources advice, IT support, and security liaison.