DoD General Counsel
The DoD General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the Department of Defense (DoD). As such, the DoD General Counsel provides legal advice directly to the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and senior DoD leaders on operational, technological, and other issues critical to DoD's ability to execute its mission. The DoD General Counsel leads the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of Defense (DoD OGC) and is the Director of the Defense Legal Services Agency (DLSA).
Mission
DoD OGC and DLSA provide comprehensive and timely legal advice across the DoD enterprise (except for the Military Departments and Combatant Commands, and the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense) on issues, such as:
- the impact of domestic and international legal obligations on DoD military operations, intelligence operations, and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence
- fiscal authorities for conducting operations
- military and civilian personnel regulations
- environmental requirements for DoD operations and installations
- legislative proposals
- litigation
Organization
DoD OGC is composed of eight divisions:
These divisions both focus on their core areas of expertise and collaborate with each other to ensure DoD OGC's legal support is well-informed, deliberate, and actionable. DoD OGC team members work directly with their DoD client organizations to resolve legal issues at the lowest possible level and to help inform operational and policy proposals at the earliest opportunity.
DLSA includes the Offices of General Counsel of the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities (DAFAs). The DAFA GCs report directly to the DoD GC to ensure alignment of legal guidance across the DoD enterprise. More information about each DLSA organization can be found
here.
Opportunities
Join us! DoD OGC and DLSA are always looking for additional legal talent. Current law students should be sure to check out our
OGC Honors Attorney Program and
Summer Honors Legal Internship Program. More experienced attorneys will find a list of current
DoD OGC legal vacancies here. Information on our rolling
request for resumes may be found here. Finally, you can reach out directly to DoD OGC for more information by emailing
osd.pentagon.ogc.list.correspondence-staff@mail.mil.
DoD OGC and DLSA Leadership
The Honorable Caroline D. Krass, DoD General Counsel and Director, Defense Legal Services Agency|
Biography
Kimberly Gahan, DoD Principal Deputy General Counsel (Acting) and Deputy Director, Defense Legal Services Agency|
Biography
OGC ANNOUNCEMENTS