NCJ Number
142000
Journal
Judicature Volume: 76 Issue: 5 Dated: (February-March 1993) Pages: 244-249
Date Published
1993
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Based on interviews and correspondence with U.S. Supreme Court personnel, this study of the Office of Legal Counsel examines the responsibilities and influence of this nonstatutory unit of the Court.
Abstract
Although its origins are unclear, the Office of Legal Counsel probably arose during the Warren Court as part of that era's trend toward innovative judicial management. The office's initial mission was to provide continuity of experience in the preliminary consideration of extraordinary motions. The lawyers who staffed the office would hopefully provide the Court with a quick and reliable institutional memory for details. The Legal Office is responsible for centralizing and stabilizing the Supreme Court's work by assisting in legal matters, preparing work for weekly conferences, recommending strategies for pending cases, helping justices with personal responses and circuit tasks, and taking on special projects required by the Chief Justice, special chambers, or the Court as a whole. Staff attorneys also assist in personnel issues, represent the Court in contract negotiations, and complete the initial work involved in lawsuits that come under the Court's jurisdiction. The office plays an administrative role in setting the conference agenda and a policy role in reviewing petitions for the writ of certiorari. The Legal Office staff consists of two attorneys and an administrative assistant; the attorneys are assigned a staff of interns annually.